US President Donald Trump has criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, claiming he is “more difficult to deal with than Putin” and questioning his willingness to reach a settlement to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
Speaking in an interview with Newsmax, Trump said Zelenskyy “doesn’t want to settle”, adding that if negotiations lead to “a settlement of some kind”, “they’re not going to do it with him”. He also argued that the war “should end soon” because “they actually both would like to see it end”.
Trump further criticised Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, calling them “disgraceful” and claiming they raise global oil prices. He also repeated his call for elections in Ukraine, while arguing that Russia’s larger population gives it greater capacity to sustain a prolonged conflict.
The latest remarks come amid a period of growing tension between Washington and Kyiv. In recent days, President Trump has brokered a controversial agreement allowing continued Russian diesel exports, urged Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, questioned President Zelenskyy’s leadership, and criticised Kyiv’s military strategy.
Zelenskyy has responded by arguing that the diesel arrangement benefits Russia, insisting Ukraine will only stop targeting Russian energy facilities if Moscow ends its attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, and warning that insufficient pressure is being placed on President Vladimir Putin.
Despite the increasingly public disagreements, European leaders meeting in Brussels on Friday (16 Oct) have reaffirmed their political, financial and military support for Ukraine while continuing to encourage cooperation between Kyiv and Washington.
ℹ️ Newsmax
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