Media: Trump Approved The Ukrainian Armed Forces Strikes On Putin's Shadow Fleet

• 12.12.2025, 16:45

The U.S. has been passing intelligence to Kiev.

The U.S. under the Donald Trump administration has effectively authorized Ukraine to launch strikes against Russia's "shadow fleet", The Atlantic reported, citing Ukrainian and U.S. officials. While Joe Biden's team feared escalation and opposed attacks on Russian oil infrastructure in international waters, the Republicans' arrival in the White House brought a change of approach. According to the publication, Trump not only did not object to such operations, but in some cases approved the transfer of intelligence to Kiev for strikes on Russian energy facilities.

With this background, despite U.S. pressure to speed up peace talks, Ukraine has taken out five "shadow fleet" tankers carrying Russian oil in recent weeks. The SBU has claimed responsibility for the attacks in the Black Sea, while Moscow has called the incidents "piracy" and threatened retaliatory strikes against ships carrying Ukrainian products. The incidents have caused the cost of ship insurance to skyrocket.

The Atlantic writes that despite public statements about seeking a "peaceful settlement," Trump has actually backed the Ukrainian strategy of pressuring Russia's oil sector. In October, his administration imposed sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil, which partially paralyzed Russian exports and caused the value of Russian oil to plummet.