Kyiv views strikes on Russian refineries as a lever of influence on Moscow, which is waging war against Ukraine. The US fears that this will lead to an increase in global energy prices and cause more aggressive corresponding actions by Russia inside Ukraine.
Edition The Washington Post writes, that the request of the American officials to stop the strikes on the refinery caused irritation in the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi and his aides, they brushed him off. At the same time, Washington continues to insist.
However, instead of heeding US requests, Ukraine redoubled its strikes on Russian targets, including an April 2 attack on Russia's third-largest oil refinery.
The incidents have heightened tensions as Kyiv waits to see if Congress approves a $60 billion aid package while Russian troops push through Ukrainian frontline positions. Since January, Ukraine has already hit more than a dozen oil refineries and knocked out at least 10% of Russian refineries. Against this background, global oil prices hit a six-month high as Biden ramps up his campaign.
Defenders of Ukraine's strategy accuse the White House of putting Kyiv's domestic policy ahead of military goals.
"It seems to me that the Biden administration does not want gas prices to rise in an election year." Sen. Tom Cotton told Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a hearing last week.
"While Russia is attacking Ukraine's oil and gas and energy sector, why shouldn't Ukrainians attack Russia's oil and gas and energy sector?" — asked Rep. Austin Scott during another recent hearing.
Maintaining supplies to global energy markets to reduce inflation is a priority for the administration, officials admit. But it is also important for the support in Europe of aid to the Ukrainian army.
"Rising energy prices may weaken European support for aid to Ukraine," — a senior US official said.
In addition, the U.S. is concerned that the strikes do little to reduce Russia's military capabilities and lead to a massive Russian counterattack on Ukraine's power grid, which hurts Ukraine far more than attacks on oil refineries hurt Russia.
"Drone attacks do not destroy entire oil refineries and usually do not even destroy individual installations, but only damage them. The Ust-Luzka and Ryazan oil refineries returned to normal operation a few weeks after the attack," — writes Serhiy Vakulenko, an expert on the oil industry.
The US opposition to attacks on oil refineries has angered officials in Kyiv, who consider the strikes fair game. They believe that the strikes are necessary to raise the price of Russian aggression and to convince Russian society that it will not be safe until the war is over.
Others say U.S. fears of rising energy prices due to refinery attacks are unfounded, pointing to recent increases driven by OPEC Plus production cuts and instability surrounding Israel's war with Hamas.
The US position contrasts with the position of Washington's allies in Europe, who barely hide their satisfaction with the Ukrainian campaign.
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