--- title: "Kushner Makes «Very Tough» Demand for Kyiv to Stop Strikes on Russian Refineries — WSJ" description: "According to WSJ and Axios, Jared Kushner made a tough demand during negotiations in Oslo for Kyiv to suspend strikes on Russian refineries. The parties assess the connection between this demand and the restoration of Starlink differently." date: 2026-10-30T12:18:23.455Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/kushner-demands-kyiv-pause-refinery-strikes tags: [jared-kushner, ukraine-russia-war, starlink, oil-refineries, oslo-talks, donald-trump] author: "Marina Slivenko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Kushner Makes «Very Tough» Demand for Kyiv to Stop Strikes on Russian Refineries — WSJ ![Jared Kushner in a dark suit during diplomatic negotiations](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/30/kushner-potreboval-ot-ukrainy-pauzy-v-udarah-po-npz/kushner-potreboval-ot-ukrainy-pauzy-v-udarah-po-npz-1.webp) ## Key Points - Kushner made a tough demand during negotiations in Oslo on October 20 for Kyiv to implement a 30-day pause in strikes on Russian refineries. - The next day, Trump asked Musk to restore Starlink; the US denies a connection to the refinery demand, while Ukrainian and European sources do not. - The Kremlin stated that Kyiv is disrupting the peace efforts of American diplomats. US Special Representative Jared Kushner, son-in-law of President Donald Trump, made an extremely tough demand during a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Oslo to suspend strikes on Russian oil refineries. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine citing The Wall Street Journal, while Axios simultaneously confirmed details of the episode. The meeting took place on October 20; due to illness, Kushner joined the discussion remotely via video conference, while the in-person round in the Norwegian capital was led by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. One WSJ source described the conversation as «very tough». ### Tough Tone of Negotiations in Oslo According to Axios, the diplomatic round in Oslo took place with the personal participation of Steve Witkoff, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre; Reuters reported that high-ranking UK representatives were also involved in the discussions. Kushner, according to the publication, reiterated and in the most straightforward manner conveyed the position of the US administration, demanding that Kyiv immediately cease strikes on oil refineries within Russia. ### Washington's Argumentation A WSJ source relayed that Kushner insisted: he and Steve Witkoff spend a lot of time, effort, and aviation fuel negotiating with Moscow, so Kyiv should express gratitude with a 30-day pause in attacks. Axios additionally points to the motive of the risk of rising global oil prices as the reason for the tough demand. The Kremlin, in turn, stated that Kyiv is disrupting the peace efforts of American diplomats. ### Link to Starlink Restoration The day after the meeting in Oslo, Donald Trump called Elon Musk and asked him to restore Starlink satellite communications for Ukraine. American officials stated that the issues of Starlink operation and Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries were not connected. Ukrainian and European representatives described the situation differently: according to one European official, Kyiv was being pushed to suspend strikes on refineries until the US midterm elections concluded, and a Ukrainian military official told WSJ that «Starlink and the oil refineries became two parts of the same story». ### Context of Peace Negotiations As RBC-Ukraine's source previously reported, the US president's team continues peace talks to end the Russian war, maintaining a cautious stance on the Donbas issue. At the same time, calls to stop strikes on Russian refineries are not being heard for the first time, making the Oslo episode part of broader pressure on Kyiv within the negotiation track. ## Accounts differ ### Connection between the demand for a pause in refinery strikes and Starlink restoration - **American officials:** The issues of Starlink operation and Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries were not connected. ([rbc.ua](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/kushner-duzhe-zhorstko-vimagav-vid-zelenskogo-1793361780.html)) - **Ukrainian and European representatives:** Kyiv was being pushed to suspend strikes on refineries, and Starlink and the oil refineries became two parts of the same story. ([rbc.ua](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/kushner-duzhe-zhorstko-vimagav-vid-zelenskogo-1793361780.html)) *Where they agree:* The meeting in Oslo took place, the demand for a pause in refinery strikes was voiced, and Starlink satellite communications were restored following Trump's appeal to Musk. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Кушнер "очень жестко" потребовал от Зеленского прекратить удары по российским НПЗ, - WSJ](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/kushner-duzhe-zhorstko-vimagav-vid-zelenskogo-1793361780.html) - Primary source basis: meeting date October 20, Kushner's remote participation, aviation fuel argumentation, connection to Starlink, and divergence in parties' assessments. - [Axios: зять Трампа отчитал Зеленского в Осло из-за российских НПЗ](https://versia.ru/axios-zyat-trampa-otchital-zelenskogo-v-oslo-iz-za-rossijskix-npz) - Confirms the tough demand, the risk motive of rising oil prices, Kushner's illness, participant composition (Stubb, Støre, Witkoff), and the Kremlin's reaction. ## FAQ ### When and where did the meeting take place? The meeting took place on October 20 in Oslo; Kushner participated remotely due to illness, while Steve Witkoff led the round in person. ### What exactly did Kushner demand? To suspend strikes on Russian oil refineries, including a 30-day pause in attacks. ### Are the refinery demand and Starlink connected? American officials deny the connection; Ukrainian and European representatives claim they are «two parts of the same story».