It is no coincidence that during his phone call with Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin asked for one thing - a stop to Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil infrastructure, writes The Telegraph.
This is Putin's sore spot for two reasons. The first is that Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil depots reduce the volume that the federation produces. The second is that they bring the war to Russian territory, and Russian propaganda is desperate to convince citizens that “everything is fine” and the fighting is taking place thousands of kilometers away.
Ukraine is attacking refineries that are very important to Putin, and it is also attracting the attention of Russians, who may be bombarded with disinformation from the government but cannot ignore the large fires burning just meters from their homes.
But since there is practically no hope of changing the situation on the front, depriving Ukraine of the opportunity to hit Putin where it hurts most will make Kiev's fight even more difficult. It is no coincidence that Putin asked Trump for this.
Moscow has refused a full 30-day ceasefire. Kiev and European politicians have repeatedly urged Trump not to believe a single word Putin says, but the American president is desperate to stop the war. Even if this happens under conditions and ultimatums that are unfavorable to Kiev.
In addition to oil refineries, Ukrainian forces are also striking important enemy military bases. Ukraine attacked the Russian air base in Engels in the Saratov region with strike drones last night, causing a fire and explosions in the area, the Ukrainian armed forces confirmed today. Earlier, the governor of the Saratov region reported a fire at the base.
Trump's efforts to broker a deal have put Zelensky in an awkward position, the “New York Times“ writes. The Ukrainian leader fears that in his eagerness to make a deal with Putin, Trump could force Ukraine to make unwanted concessions, the publication points out. Zelensky has few leverage, given that US military and economic support is crucial to his country's ability to defend itself against the Russians, so he has done everything he can to accommodate Trump, the newspaper commented.