Tensions between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump have grown over disagreements spanning fuel sourced from Russia, the provision of military backing, and attacks on energy infrastructure, with Ukraine indicating it intends to resume targeting Russian oil refineries.
Speaking with Piers Morgan on Wednesday, Zelensky pointed to two specific actions by Trump as sources of disappointment — the loosening of curbs on Russian diesel exports and a push for Ukraine to install new leadership. Zelensky indicated he could accept Washington in a mediating role, while raising doubts about whether that stance was one Trump continued to hold, and adding that it was distressing to see the president align with the other party rather than Ukraine.
When asked directly whether he felt let down by the other party, he gave a plain answer — yes — and the dispute has since extended into the military sphere.
Zelensky told the Financial Times on Thursday that a three-day halt on drone and missile strikes against Russian oil infrastructure had ended, adding that throughout the pause, Russian forces had continued hitting targets inside Ukraine. "It's over," he told the newspaper.
Among his objections were the trade deals being pursued with Moscow and what he described as Trump's favorable disposition toward Vladimir Putin. The deal involving Russian diesel was put forward by Trump as a measure intended to bring down fuel prices before the midterm elections.
Kyiv has raised doubts about whether the proposed truce arrangement would distribute its benefits evenly, a position that comes alongside pressure from Washington for Ukraine to stand down its own military activity. Outlets citing unnamed sources indicated that the administration had put Ukraine on notice that persisting with drone and missile attacks on Russian energy infrastructure placed at risk both intelligence-sharing arrangements and European procurement of American-supplied arms intended for Kyiv.
A separate point of contention between the two governments centres on the suspension of strikes against energy infrastructure that Trump put forward. On Monday, Zelensky indicated that Ukraine stood ready to honour a mutual halt in hostilities, while pointing to what he described as ongoing Russian strikes. His position was that a deal had been in place, with infractions occurring on both sides of the arrangement.
Zelensky has also raised concerns over gaps in missile-warning intelligence and interruptions to the satellite communications on which Ukrainian forces rely. The assertion that intelligence sharing remained uninterrupted left the two parties at open odds — a disagreement spanning not just the conduct of diplomacy, but the broader question of what military support Ukraine ought to be receiving.
