
Updated
NATO's Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe John Stringer said only Ukraine has the right to decide the fate of its territories. He praised Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil infrastructure and questioned the Kremlin's intentions in peace talks. Stringer made the remarks in an interview with Euronews, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda. He said Western allies should salute Kyiv's strikes on Russian diesel refineries, despite US President Donald Trump's calls to halt them over concerns about rising energy prices. Stringer also doubted the Kremlin's sincerity in negotiations in Abu Dhabi, saying there is little evidence that Vladimir Putin has abandoned his maximalist 2022 objectives, which included annexing Ukrainian territories. Asked about pressure on Ukraine to give up parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, he said territory is absolutely a matter for the Ukrainians.