Trump condemns Ukraine's oil refinery strikes as relations with Kyiv deteriorate
The US president called Ukraine's resumed attacks on Russian refineries 'a disgrace' while backing an energy ceasefire that Russia and Ukraine say they never agreed to.
What happened
Trump told Newsmax that Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil refineries were harming global diesel supply and constituted 'a disgrace,' criticizing Zelenskyy as 'more difficult to deal with than Putin.' Ukraine resumed the refinery strikes after Zelenskyy abandoned a ceasefire Trump had declared unilaterally the previous week—one neither Russia nor Ukraine had agreed to. The tensions escalated after Trump's actions on sanctions on Russia that were interpreted as related to Moscow releasing diesel to global markets. Ukraine reported that Starlink services had been restricted, disrupting drone strikes and air defenses; the British defence secretary said Starlink had been restored. Zelenskyy met EU leaders in Brussels, where they reaffirmed support for Ukraine and promised a 22nd round of sanctions against Russia, while the Kremlin accused Ukraine of derailing US peace efforts.
Context
The collapse of the Trump-brokered energy ceasefire reveals a fundamental rift in US-Ukraine relations and conflicting priorities. Trump's stated concern is oil prices—he framed the ceasefire as economically beneficial—while Zelenskyy views energy infrastructure attacks as militarily justified and rejects any agreement that would ease Russian economic pressure. The Starlink restriction incident compounds Kyiv's concern about US reliability as a strategic partner, particularly given Trump's stated preference for negotiating with Putin. EU leaders' explicit reassurances and promise of additional sanctions signal European determination to sustain Ukraine support independent of US policy shifts. The dispute over whether an energy ceasefire was formally agreed highlights a breakdown in communication or understanding between Washington and Kyiv about the terms of any settlement.
What's disputed
Whether Trump's energy ceasefire was an actual agreement (Trump presented it as such; Russia and Ukraine both said they had not agreed to it). Whether Starlink services experienced a technical disruption or intentional restriction (the British defence secretary said it was unclear what had caused the disruption).