“The block is out,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the Financial Times. “We’re done.” In an interview published on Thursday, the Ukrainian president said his country would no longer observe Donald Trump’s demand to stop hitting Russian oil refineries.
The rift began with a trade. Trump eased sanctions on Russia in exchange for Moscow releasing large amounts of diesel onto global markets, a deal he struck on a Friday after a phone call with Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyy reacted furiously, calling it “terrible” and “not fair and not honest.” Later he described it as a “weak decision” that would encourage Russia to prolong the war. Several European allies criticised it too.
Trump blamed Ukrainian refinery strikes for rising diesel prices. “He better damn well stop,” he told reporters at the White House on Saturday. He also said it was “time for Ukraine to get a new president,” and, without offering evidence, accused Zelenskyy of resisting a compromise. “Russia would like to make a deal … but for whatever reason, Zelenskyy does not want to make a deal,” he said. A day later he announced an “energy ceasefire” between the two countries, which Zelenskyy said he knew nothing about.
Reactions
Kirill Dmitriev, the Kremlin’s special envoy on economic cooperation, called Trump’s remarks “historic.” In a post on X he said Trump “joins the many who believe that Ukraine needs leadership actually focused on peace.”
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andriy Sybiga, answered the other way. “He has the support of the Ukrainian people, and they have the right to decide,” he said. British prime minister Andy Burnham told Zelenskyy in a call that the UK stood in “complete solidarity” and would keep tightening sanctions on Russia, according to a Downing Street readout. Germany said it would keep pushing for new EU sanctions despite the diesel arrangement.
Zelenskyy told Piers Morgan he felt “betrayed.” “It’s painful when President Trump chooses one side, not our side,” he said. “I think his advisors are wrong. This is not (the) right side of history.”
After meeting him in Brussels, NATO chief Mark Rutte said they discussed “implementing an energy ceasefire as well as NATO allies’ continuous support for Ukraine.” Zelenskyy left any mention of a ceasefire out of his own account of the meeting on X.
Pressure on the ground
Defence officials confirmed the US had threatened to withdraw intelligence-sharing if Ukraine kept up long-range strikes on refineries. Officials also reported slower speeds on Starshield, the US-controlled satellite system Ukraine uses to detect Russian attacks and coordinate operations. Elon Musk denied his company was responsible. “Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government,” he said, adding that any limits are decided by the US military and ultimately the president.
Ballistic missiles hit Kyiv and the surrounding region on Tuesday and Wednesday nights before sirens could sound. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov accused Ukraine of undermining US peace efforts after Russian authorities reported a drone attack that set a refinery south of Moscow ablaze.
Sources
- Ukraine war briefing: Trump and Zelenskyy’s public tussle over Russian fuel deal worsens
- TRT World – Ukraine's Zelenskyy rejects Trump's demand to halt strikes on Russian refineries
