Kyiv is urging European countries that continue to purchase Russian oil to switch to American energy supplies—and is even offering storage facilities to US companies to help bring their products closer to the European market, according to Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s top adviser.
Last week, former President Donald Trump called several European leaders meeting in Paris to discuss the war in Ukraine. He urged them to stop buying Russian oil and to back US-led sanctions targeting Moscow’s key revenue source fueling its military campaign.
“What President Trump said was very clear — we fully support it,” Yermak told The Post on Monday. “It’s time to completely cut off gas and oil from Russia in Europe.” He added that the Paris discussions included honest talks about how some countries still rely on Russian energy.
Yermak described the plan as a win-win for Ukraine, the US, and their allies. Sanctions would compel European nations to buy American oil instead, boosting the US economy and putting pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war.
“We are working on how to make this mutually beneficial and profitable,” Yermak said, emphasizing alignment with Trump’s “America First” approach. “For us, it means Ukraine first, but it’s good if all countries with similar principles join.”
The sanctions would also target other buyers of Russian oil, including China and India. While Trump recently imposed a 50% tariff on Indian imports of Russian oil, broader sanctions on these countries have not yet been implemented.
Ukraine is ready to cooperate with US energy firms, offering its significant liquefied natural gas storage and transit capacity to help American companies supply Europe and fill the gap left by cutting off Russian oil.
Since Trump’s call in Paris, Kyiv officials have engaged European leaders to promote a united front against Russian energy dependence. Last week, Zelensky met Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico—Slovakia being one of Europe’s largest Russian oil importers—to encourage the country to end its reliance on Moscow.
“There’s positive news from the meeting,” Yermak said. “Slovakia is willing to explore options to move away from Russian oil and gas in a way that benefits its people.” While no formal commitments were made, Ukraine received encouraging signals of cooperation.
Hungary, which, along with Slovakia, received exemptions from the EU embargo on Russian crude in 2022 due to heavy reliance, remains a key player in this energy shift.
Countries like France, Belgium, and Spain—which together accounted for about 85% of Russian liquefied natural gas imports in 2024—are also under pressure to reduce their dependence. Meanwhile, the Czech Republic has already fully divested from Russian energy, demonstrating that transition is possible even for heavily dependent nations.
Following Russia’s largest attack on Ukraine over the weekend, Trump said Sunday he is ready to advance to “phase two” of sanctions on Russian oil.
