Rift between Washington and Kyiv?

According to U.S. media reports, the diplomatic message to Kyiv followed a meeting between Chevron CEO Mike Wirth and other oil industry executives with senior officials in President Donald Trump's administration.

During the meeting, the executives requested additional protection for the operations of U.S. energy companies in Kazakhstan.

Washington's response was prompted by Ukrainian drone attacks on four tankers near the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. One of the vessels struck had been chartered by Chevron.

A U.S. official confirmed to The Wall Street Journal that, following the incidents, the administration sent an official warning to Ukraine, emphasizing that attacks on vessels that are not Russian are unacceptable.

At the same time, the administration stressed that it considers the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) a key route for transporting Kazakh oil to European markets and an important alternative to Russian energy supplies.

Novorossiysk serves as the main export hub for oil transported through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which carries around 2% of the world's daily crude oil production.

Chevron holds a 15% stake in the Caspian Pipeline Consortium and also owns a 50% interest in the Tengiz oil field—the largest and most productive in Kazakhstan—which accounts for about 12% of the company's global oil production.