US to give Ukraine intelligence on energy targets: Media

WASHINGTON — The United States will provide Ukraine with intelligence on long-range energy infrastructure targets within Russia, two officials told Reuters on Wednesday, as it weighs whether to send Kyiv missiles that could be used in such strikes.

The US is also asking NATO allies to provide similar support, the US officials said, confirming details first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Washington has long been sharing intelligence with Kyiv, but the Wall Street Journal reported that it will now be easier for Ukraine to target infrastructure, such as refineries, pipelines and power plants, thereby depriving the Kremlin of revenue and oil.

Neither the White House nor Ukraine's mission to the United Nations immediately responded to separate requests for comment from Reuters.

The Kremlin responded on Thursday by saying that the US and the NATO military alliance already supplied Ukraine with intelligence on a regular basis.

"The United States of America transmits intelligence to Ukraine on a regular basis online," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"The supply and use of the entire infrastructure of NATO and the United States to collect and transfer intelligence to Ukrainians is obvious."

The move comes as the United States also considers a Ukrainian request to obtain Tomahawks, which have a range of 2,500 kilometers, easily enough to hit Moscow and most of European Russia if fired from Ukraine. Kyiv has also developed its own long-range missile, named the Flamingo, but the quantities are unknown as the missile is still in early production.

US President Donald Trump began his second term in January, vowing to quickly end the conflict.

Russia's UN Ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, said earlier on Wednesday that "this is a situation where quick fixes do not work", during a news conference to mark the start of Russia's October presidency of the UN Security Council.

Nebenzia also cited Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as saying that if the US decided to supply Ukraine with Tomahawks, "it will not change the situation on the battlefield".

Energy revenue remains the Kremlin's single most important source of cash, making oil and gas exports a central target of Western sanctions.

Earlier on Wednesday, the finance ministers of the Group of Seven nations announced that they will take joint steps to increase pressure on Russia by targeting those who continue to purchase Russian oil and those facilitating circumvention.

Agencies via Xinhua