Kyiv has been open about what it calls its “long-range sanctions” against Russia.
“This is a fully justified response to Russian attacks on our cities and communities, and another important result of our warriors’ work against facilities that sustain Russia’s war machine,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post X Thursday, sharing a video of the Russian capital burning and covered in smoke.
All of Ukraine’s partners “have noted the precision and effectiveness of our mid-range strikes and long-range sanctions” in recent days, he added, signaling that the U.S. is now on Ukraine’s side.
“If Ukraine is burning, then your Moscow will be burning too,” Zelenskyy said later Thursday, in an audio note shared with reporters.
Washington-led efforts to settle the conflict have been stalled by the Trump administration’s focus on the Iran war in recent months.
But with the peace agreement now signed with Tehran, Trump said he would refocus on Russia’s war and appeared newly aligned on the issue with allies at the Group of Seven summit this week. Just hours before the refinery strike, Zelenskyy said he held “an important coordination call” with Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, “that can bring about significant change.”
