Trump Administration Warns Ukraine Over Strikes on Russian Sites That Could Impact US Economic Interests

The Donald Trump administration has officially warned Ukraine against executing strikes on targets inside Russia that could damage US economic interests.

Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United States, announced this during a briefing, according to CNN.

She stated that she received a formal diplomatic protest (a note verbale) from the US State Department after a Ukrainian strike in November targeted oil infrastructure in Novorossiysk.

They stated that the Ukrainian attacks “affected certain American investments being carried out through Kazakhstan.”

“We heard from the US State Department that we must refrain from striking American interests,” Stefanishyna said at a press conference marking the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The damage concerns a terminal of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, in which the American companies Chevron and ExxonMobil hold stakes.

According to Olha Stefanishyna, the State Department complained that Ukrainian forces had damaged infrastructure of the pipeline that transports American, Kazakh, and Russian oil across Russian territory to a Black Sea port.

Meanwhile, she emphasized that the United States did not propose that Kyiv refrain altogether from attacking Russian military and energy infrastructure.

“This was related to the fact that American economic interests were affected there. We considered that,” the diplomat said.

Stefanishyna also said that the letter from the State Department emphasized that the United States currently does not have the same level of economic interests in Ukraine as it does in Kazakhstan.

It is worth noting that the Caspian pipeline is one of the largest taxpayers in Russia, and those budget revenues are used to finance the war against Ukraine.

Russian strikes on US companies in Ukraine

On February 21, Russian forces launched a missile strike on a production facility of the American company Mondelez in Trostianets, Sumy region. This was one of the first American investments in Ukraine’s economy.

Additionally, on August 21, 2025, Russia attacked a facility of the American company Flex located in the Zakarpattia region.