Trump criticizes Ukraine’s strikes on Russian oil refineries
President Donald Trump has labeled Ukraine’s resumption of strikes on Russian oil refineries a “disgrace,” the latest salvo in his campaign to pressure the U.S. ally over rising gas prices that could cost Republicans in next month’s midterm elections, reports BritPanorama.
Kyiv announced on Thursday that it would no longer abide by Trump’s “energy ceasefire,” citing Russia’s refusal to halt its own attacks on Ukraine’s power grid. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy angrily accused the U.S. of costing civilian lives by striking deals with Moscow and withdrawing support that is crucial to Kyiv’s defense against the Kremlin’s invasion.
Ukrainian officials raised alarms after restrictions on the Starlink satellite service disrupted military operations, leaving Kyiv vulnerable to Russian attacks due to gaps in intelligence sharing.
With Ukraine defying his demands to halt strikes, Trump responded late Thursday, expressing his discontent in an interview with Newsmax. “If you tell me that Zelenskyy is again shooting at refineries, all he’s doing is making the world oil price higher,” Trump stated, adding, “I think that’s a disgrace. There’s plenty of other targets; they don’t have to hit.”
Furthermore, Trump remarked, “Zelenskyy is not a good guy for us to deal with” regarding the war, suggesting that he found Zelenskyy harder to negotiate with than Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Kremlin echoed Trump’s sentiments on Friday, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov asserting that “Zelenskyy doesn’t want to take responsibility and move toward a peaceful resolution.”
During the escalation of this clash, Zelenskyy was in Brussels on Friday seeking support from European allies, whom he called “real leaders” as they gathered for a crucial summit.
Ukraine hit a Russian oil refinery on Thursday after Zelenskyy indicated he was “done” with the truce, initially announced by Trump, which took both sides by surprise. There were no new reports of strikes on Russian refineries on Friday from either Moscow or Kyiv.
Despite Trump’s assertions that Ukraine’s strikes destabilize global diesel prices, the ongoing attacks have significantly impacted Russia, creating a major fuel crisis within the country.
Kyiv hoped to leverage this situation for a stronger negotiating position, but Washington’s push for a conflict resolution has raised concerns among Ukraine and its European supporters.
Last week, Trump unveiled a deal to purchase diesel from Russia in an apparent attempt to alleviate pressure on American consumers ahead of the midterm elections, which reversed longstanding U.S. policy. He also insisted that Kyiv must cease all strikes on Russian oil infrastructure and called for a change in Ukraine’s leadership.
Amid rising suspicions, questions grew about whether the U.S. continued to share critical military intelligence with Ukraine following major strikes earlier in the week that Kyiv claimed were executed without usual prior warnings.
Additionally, Ukraine reported a notable slowdown of the Starlink satellite terminals, essential for its military operations, raising concerns over communications and operational efficiency.
Kyiv affirmed Thursday that the Starshield service, the military variant of Starlink used by its forces, was being restored after previous limitations without any prior notice.
SpaceX chief Elon Musk, who is a known ally of Trump, stated that decisions regarding the service rested ultimately with the U.S. military and Trump. After inquiries regarding Musk’s comments, a senior U.S. official indicated that “no such request was ever made by the president.” Trump subsequently denied any restrictions on military intelligence for Ukraine.
Despite Ukraine’s reassurances about the restoration of Starshield, the episode has intensified prevailing suspicions regarding the U.S.’ willingness to cut battlefield support to exert pressure for a peace agreement.
European and Ukrainian officials conveyed that recent U.S. moves, occurring just days after Trump eased sanctions on Russia’s diesel exports and criticized Zelenskyy, seem aimed at pressuring Kyiv into making significant concessions at the negotiating table amid stalled peace talks.
