Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that Ukrainian forces will go back to striking Russian refineries after pausing for three days, and he said yes in an interview with Piers Morgan when asked if Trump’s administration had betrayed him.
Ukraine halted refinery attacks after President Donald Trump announced an “energy ceasefire,” but Zelensky said Russia kept hitting Ukrainian energy sites, and Russia has not accepted the truce. Zelensky said Ukraine had paused to meet Washington’s wishes and that the restraint is over.
Trump had pressed Kyiv to stop. He told reporters October 10 that Zelensky must stop hitting refineries, and said it was “time for Ukraine to get a new president.”
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Zelensky said US counterparts warned Ukrainian military officials that Washington would block intelligence sharing if the energy strikes continued. Trump told reporters the United States is still sharing intelligence with Ukraine. Zelensky said Ukraine got no warning from partners before five Russian ballistic missiles struck Kyiv.
Read: Russia Keeps Striking Ukraine’s Energy Sites After Trump Declares Truce, Zelensky Says
The feud follows a diesel deal Trump announced October 9. Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed in a phone call to supply diesel to the US and global markets. The Treasury Department then eased sanctions on Russian diesel through a temporary license that runs well past the usual 30-day window.
Zelensky called the deal a “simple victory” for Russia. Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer, Elizabeth Warren and Jeanne Shaheen condemned the deal as a betrayal that hurts Ukraine, Europe and US security.
Trump’s envoys have also floated a separate plan on frozen Russian assets. Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner proposed at talks in Miami last week that part of roughly €260 billion in immobilized Russian sovereign assets move into a US-supervised financial vehicle, according to a report citing people briefed on the talks, and European delegates rejected the idea. Much of the money sits at Euroclear, the Belgian securities depository, and no one has disclosed an amount, ownership structure or financial terms.
Read: Trump Envoys Propose Unfreezing Russian Assets Under US Control, European Officials Reject Plan
Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries led Moscow to ban diesel exports in July, and Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said it struck 12 large refineries in September.
Kyiv also said Starlink limited some military connectivity on Wednesday. Zelensky asked Elon Musk to restore service, and Musk replied that Starshield, the military version, belongs to the US government, which sets how it is used.
