Ukraine Halts Attacks on Russian Oil Refineries After Trump Pressure

Ukraine's military has informally paused attacks on Russian oil refineries after weeks of pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, according to a Wall Street Journal report on October 29, citing informed sources. The pause, which began in mid-October during a crisis in U.S.-Ukraine relations, is expected to last until after the U.S. midterm elections. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has agreed to the halt but emphasized the military retains discretion to resume strikes, seeking better protection for Ukraine's own energy infrastructure in return. Ukraine remains vulnerable to U.S. pressure due to its reliance on Starlink, intelligence sharing, and Patriot interceptors. Trump has blamed Ukraine for high global fuel prices, and U.S. envoy Jared Kushner reportedly made the demand again during a tense October 20 meeting in Oslo, asking for a 30-day pause.