During a meeting in Paris, former US President Donald Trump called on leaders in Europe to stop buying oil from Russia and instead shift to supply from America.
Andriy Yermak, chief adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, expressed his support for the call, saying it is time for Europe to move away from Russian gas and oil.
Russia continues to benefit from selling oil in different countries from Europe, a primary source of funds for their war against Ukraine.
Yermak emphasized that Ukraine is prepared to assist in this transition, including offering storage space for American companies to help accelerate the flow of oil into the European market.
According to officials, the move is expected to bring significant benefits—reducing Russia’s war funds for Ukraine, boosting oil exports and economic gains for the U.S., providing Europe with an alternative energy source, and strengthening sanctions against Russia for all allied nations.
The “America First” slogan coined by former President Trump, which prioritizes America’s interests, was also mentioned.
According to Yermak, this is acceptable because Ukraine shares a similar principle of “Ukraine First.” He emphasized that if each allied country puts its interests first but fights together, everyone will benefit.
“It means that we can say all of us first … because we absolutely agree that our future cooperation has to be successful for Ukraine and for the United States,” Yermak said.
Yermak also pointed out that Ukraine is ready to partner further with the U.S. energy sector, noting the country’s vast capacity to store and move liquefied natural gas. This would allow American companies to supply Europe and fill the gap that would be created by cutting off Russian oil.
The push to block Russian energy could also affect other major buyers such as China and India. Trump recently imposed an additional 50% tariff on India as punishment for its purchases of Russian oil, although he has not yet carried out broader sanctions on other countries.
Since Trump’s appeal in Paris, Kyiv officials have been actively meeting with European leaders to rally support for a united stand against Russian oil and gas.—Lloyd Demependan, Contributor