Trump Administration Reportedly Warns Ukraine Against Striking Non-Russian Ships in the Black Sea
The Trump administration has reportedly warned Ukraine against targeting commercial vessels that are not Russian in the Black Sea, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The report follows a Ukrainian drone attack near the Russian port of Novorossiysk, where four oil tankers were targeted. One of the vessels was reportedly chartered by Chevron, raising concerns over the safety of international energy shipments.
According to the report, the incident temporarily disrupted oil exports through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), forcing Kazakhstan to reduce production due to storage constraints. Following the attack, Chevron CEO Mike Wirth reportedly met with senior U.S. officials to express concerns about risks to energy infrastructure and global supply chains.
The White House subsequently held discussions with energy industry representatives and reportedly conveyed to Ukraine that attacks on non-Russian commercial vessels are unacceptable, citing the strategic importance of the Black Sea energy corridor for Europe’s efforts to diversify away from Russian energy.