US Vice President JD Vance asked President Volodymyr Zelensky to avoid attacking a key Kazakh oil export route through Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, according to Ukrainian officials and others familiar with the discussions cited by the Financial Times. Vance made the request during a July 31 phone call with Zelensky as Washington sought to prevent attacks that could disrupt global oil markets and affect US companies involved in transporting Kazakh crude through Russia.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Ukraine agreed not to target infrastructure belonging to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) or non-Russian vessels, unless they are under Ukrainian sanctions or carrying Russian oil or other Russian cargo, the FT reported. Ukraine has not attacked tankers near the CPC terminal since the request was made. A US administration official confirmed that Washington had warned Kyiv against attacking non-Russian vessels in the Black Sea and CPC infrastructure, describing the pipeline as a vital route for delivering Kazakh energy to European markets as an alternative to Russian supplies. The CPC pipeline carries oil from Kazakhstan to a terminal near Novorossiysk. It handles about 80% of Kazakhstan’s oil exports and nearly 2% of global crude supplies, according to Reuters. US companies Chevron and ExxonMobil hold stakes in the consortium and in major Kazakh oil fields served by the route. Ukraine Hits Russian Naval Base The agreement does not cover Russian military targets at Novorossiysk.