Targeting Problems in Ukraine
Peter Zeihan
6 min
The United States is starting to point its finger at Ukraine about the targets it's supposed to attack in Russian territory. And if you want to talk about something that's going to hit Russia's bottom line, that's the way to do it.
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Donald Trump
Chapters
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0:00
US Pressure on Ukraine Targets
The US is pressuring Ukraine to stop attacking Russian oil infrastructure due to American investments in Kazakhstan.
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0:57
Kazakhstan Pipeline Complications
American supermajors own stakes in Tengiz and Kashagan projects, making attacks on Novorossiysk risky for US interests.
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2:16
Ukraine's Shift in Strategy
Ukraine is forced to avoid energy targets linked to American companies and focus on other infrastructure.
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3:23
US Withdrawal from Military Aid
The US has stopped providing both economic aid and military aid to Ukraine following a year of Donald Trump. Hungary and Slovakia are pro-Russian enough to shut off fuel deliveries to Ukraine to keep Russian oil flowing. The Baltic Pipeline Network terminating near St. Petersburg is now within range of Ukrainian drones. Ten NATO countries bordering the littoral could coordinate to stop shadow fleet tankers from loading crude.
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5:42
Russia's Bottom Line Hit
Stopping the Baltic pipeline would hit Russia's bottom line more effectively than previous attacks.
Key points
- 0:00
The United States is starting to point its finger at Ukraine about the targets it's supposed to attack in Russian territory.
- 0:57
The two projects in question are called Tengiz and Kashigan.
- 2:16
And that is exactly how the Ukrainians have interpreted it.
- 3:23
After a year of Donald Trump, the United States is still providing no economic aid, but is now providing no military aid at all.
- 3:23
So we're still dealing here with the detrus of the Soviet collapse because it's not just one empire anymore.
- 3:23
There's another major pipeline system, the Baltic Pipeline Network, that terminates near St. Petersburg.
- 3:23
So we could actually have a number of NATO countries, 10 of them, who border this littoral.
- 5:42
And if you want to talk about something that's going to hit Russia's bottom line, that's the way to do it.
Who and where
People · 1
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Donald Trump 1
President of the United States (2017–2021; since 2025)
Photo 1
1. Photo: Daniel Torok, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons · Wikidata · redrawn in our house style (Donald Trump)
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