Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Ukraine has attacked U.S.-linked ships several times over the past few months.
Speaking Tuesday in an appearance on Fox and Friends, Rubio touched on the war in Ukraine, voicing understanding for Ukraine’s predicament of wanting to hit Russia where it hurts, but also not wanting to send diesel prices further upwards. He then shifted to a new accusation against Kyiv: accusing it of, intentionally or not, striking several U.S.-linked ships over the past few months.
“The one thing we are concerned about, however, over the last few months, on a number of occasions, American-linked ships, American oil supplies, have been targeted, probably not deliberately but targeted nonetheless, by Ukraine,” Rubio said. “That’s something that needs to be addressed. We can’t have that happening.”
The criticism was a step up from a spat in July, when the Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration privately warned Ukraine against striking non-Russian vessels in the Black Sea, apparently out of concern that they would hit Kazakh oil exports, in which Chevron has a stake. The report was later confirmed by Ukraine and the United States.
Rubio’s comment reflects the growing divergence between Washington and Kyiv on the Russia-Ukraine war, which threatens to boil over and sour the two’s relationship once again. After an infamous blowup last year, Ukraine and the U.S. have largely mended ties, and U.S. military and intelligence assistance has remained critical in holding back Russia’s advance.
UKRAINE LAUNCHES OVER 1,000 DRONES AT RUSSIA ON FINAL DAY OF DUMA ELECTIONS
The new concern over Ukraine striking U.S.-linked ships is now stacking onto the two other major friction points: disagreements about Patriot interceptor supplies and Ukraine’s long-range drone campaign.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly and publicly begged the U.S. for more interceptors, while President Donald Trump has repeatedly rebuffed him, as stocks run low due to the war with Iran. The two leaders are slated to meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
Trump began demanding that Ukraine cease its drone campaign targeting Russian refineries over its impact on diesel fuel prices. Despite claiming Zelensky agreed, Ukraine has launched several major attacks on large Russian refineries over the past week, including the largest drone attack in history over the weekend, targeting a refinery in Moscow.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
