Kremlin Rejects Trump’s 43% Refinery-Strike Theory, Vowing More Land Seizures
Updated
Updated · Kyiv Post · Jul 9
Kremlin Rejects Trump’s 43% Refinery-Strike Theory, Vowing More Land Seizures
3 articles · Updated · Kyiv Post · Jul 9
Summary
Dmitry Peskov on Thursday called Donald Trump’s view that Ukrainian refinery strikes could help end the war a “misconception” and said Russia would answer by creating a larger “security zone” in Ukraine.
Trump had said after a one-hour meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky at the NATO summit that the strikes were the kind of escalation that could lead to an end, while also admitting the war has proved harder to resolve than expected.
Ukraine’s campaign has hit all major Russian refineries in recent months, reportedly with U.S. intelligence support, disabling at least 43% of Russia’s refining capacity and contributing to a fuel crisis in Russia.
The Kremlin still refuses to drop its maximalist demand for all of Donbas even as battlefield gains slow, while Kyiv rejects territorial concessions and instead proposes a frontline freeze as a basis for talks.