Trump Criticizes Zelensky Over Refinery Strikes, Peace Talks Amid Diesel Deal

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has directly challenged US President Donald Trump, adopting a confrontational approach following a diesel deal between Moscow and Washington.

Trump criticized Zelensky for continued strikes on Russian oil refineries, which Trump blames for disrupting global diesel markets and causing rising fuel prices. Trump defended his decision to suspend sanctions on Russia, stating on Truth Social that he is negotiating peace and does not want to drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table. He also lifted sanctions on Russian diesel exports earlier this month to ease fuel prices.

Trump invoked a national-interest exemption to suspend sanctions he signed into law last month, including tariffs on Russian imports and major buyers of its oil and gas. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described this as a 60-day pause. Zelensky told NBC News on Sunday that Ukraine must win the conflict and that siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin would be a historic mistake.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent rebuked Zelensky's stance as a false binary, insisting the conflict must end through a negotiated settlement. Zelensky spoke with Trump's envoys on Sunday, discussing the crisis and the possibility of an in-person meeting. Ukraine defied Trump’s demand to halt strikes, launching a drone attack on an oil terminal in St. Petersburg overnight on Sunday.

Trump has accused Zelensky of prolonging the conflict despite receiving billions in Western assistance, claiming Zelensky doesn’t want to end this war, and probably never did. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested Zelensky has no desire to reach a settlement because his government would collapse if Ukraine signed a deal acceptable to both the US and Russia.

Zelensky stated he wants to run for president again if an election is held before the conflict ends, citing his responsibility to defend his country. His five-year term expired in May 2024, and he has refused to call a new election due to martial law.