Trump criticises Zelensky over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries
The US president said refinery attacks were increasing fuel prices, as disagreements over the war and energy policy continued.
US President Donald Trump criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over renewed attacks on Russian oil refineries, saying they were increasing global energy prices, according to Cyprus Mail reporting on his Newsmax interview.
Further reporting of the same interview described Trump as saying that reaching a settlement with Zelensky was more difficult than negotiating with Putin. That is Trump's assessment rather than a verified negotiating outcome.
Trump described the refinery attacks as a disgrace and said strikes on facilities producing diesel were making fuel more expensive. These were the president's assessment of the effects of Ukrainian military operations, not an independently established analysis of global prices.
The remarks followed Ukraine's decision to resume strikes on Russian energy facilities after a ceasefire proposal addressing energy targets faltered. Zelensky has criticised US policy towards Russia and the continuing attacks on Ukrainian electricity infrastructure.
Ukraine has reported Russian missile and drone strikes on energy installations that interrupted supplies to many residents. The report described Ukraine's refinery operations as part of the country's war response, while the US president objected to their impact on fuel availability.
Trump told the broadcaster that he considered Zelensky more difficult to negotiate with than Russian President Vladimir Putin. Those comments relate to his efforts to broker an end to Russia's war against Ukraine.
The reporting did not include a new US sanctions decision or confirm that any specific Ukrainian military assistance had been withdrawn because of the interview. No independent estimate of the refinery attacks' contribution to energy prices was supplied.
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What we know
- Trump criticised Ukrainian refinery attacks during a Newsmax interview.
- He argued that strikes on diesel facilities raised global fuel prices.
Not yet confirmed
- A measured contribution of these particular strikes to global oil prices.
Why it matters for Europe
Trump's remarks concern US policy towards Ukraine's defence and its strikes on Russian energy targets.
Sources
Reported by 12 reports from 11 independent outlets in 1 countries.
- Cyprus Mail: Trump lashes out at Zelenskiy over Russian refinery attacks, calls them a disgrace
- The Irish Times: Is Trump colluding with Putin to damage Zelenskiy?
- De Telegraaf: LIVE | Trump woest op Zelenski na nieuwe aanvallen op Russische raffinaderijen
- France 24: Live: Trump calls renewed Ukraine attacks on Russian oil refineries 'a disgrace'
- TheJournal.ie: Trump calls Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil a 'disgrace' after his 'energy ceasefire' collapses
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- What did Trump say?
- US President Donald Trump criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over renewed attacks on Russian oil refineries, saying they were increasing global energy prices, according to Cyprus Mail reporting on his Newsmax interview.
- Has the United States changed aid policy?
- The reporting did not include a new US sanctions decision or confirm that any specific Ukrainian military assistance had been withdrawn because of the interview. No independent estimate of the refinery attacks' contribution to energy prices was supplied.
This article was written with AI assistance from 11 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.