WorldPosted at: Oct 16 2026 8:54PM


Zelensky defends strikes on Russian oil refineries post Trump criticism, says he's 'only standing up for Ukraine's interests'

Kyiv, Oct 16 (UNI) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today defended Kyiv's renewed attacks on Russian oil refineries, contending he is "only standing up for Ukraine's interests" after US President Donald Trump accused him of obstructing efforts to end the war.
Trump, speaking to US broadcaster Newsmax on Thursday, described Zelensky as "more difficult to deal with than [Russian President Vladimir] Putin" and called Ukraine's latest strikes on Russian oil facilities "a disgrace".
The US leader's criticism of his Ukrainian counterpart comes following his controversial agreement to allow Russian diesel exports, which Zelensky condemned and called it a "gift" to Putin. He warned that Washington could follow the deal with an agreement on Russian gas.
"If I don't stand up to this... who else will do this?" Zelensky said today at an EU summit in Brussels.
He also expressed hope that US and Ukrainian negotiators would agree to another meeting soon, despite escalating tensions over the diesel agreement and restrictions affecting Ukraine's military satellite communications.
During a press conference after the summit, Zelensky was asked by Sky News whether Trump was using him as a scapegoat for his own political problems. After a pause of around 15 seconds, he smiled and replied: "This is my answer," prompting laughter from journalists.
Zelensky arrived at the summit alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa, thanking European leaders for their continued support, reports BBC.
Trump has repeatedly criticised Ukraine's attacks on Russian refineries, arguing that they push up global oil prices and undermine his efforts to reduce fuel costs in the US ahead of next month's midterm elections. Fuel and particularly diesel prices have risen sharply during the war involving Iran.
The dispute has centred partly on Trump's announcement last week of an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Kyiv said it would halt attacks on Russian energy infrastructure if Moscow did the same, but Russia continued striking Ukrainian facilities and said it had never agreed to the proposed arrangement. Zelensky subsequently announced that Ukraine would resume its own attacks after three days.
"Of course we supported President Trump's energy ceasefire but we've seen that Russia did not respect it, not a single minute," von der Leyen told reporters before the summit, adding that sanctions on Russia "had to increase".
The European leaders' discussions focused on financial support for Ukraine and preparations for another winter of war, the fifth since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
"Russia is trying everything to destroy the energy and water infrastructure," von der Leyen told Zelensky. "But we stand by your side, we support you as we did in the other winters."
Zelensky maintained that Kyiv also wanted the war to end "as quick as possible" but saw little evidence that Moscow shared that objective.
"That's why we have to prepare for the winter. A winter package is not only energy, it's also defence and funding," he said.
Russian attacks continued overnight, with several people killed in a drone strike on the north-eastern city of Kharkiv, according to local authorities. Strikes in the western Volyn region also left around 270,000 households without electricity.
Trump told Newsmax that he was "not a big fan of Zelensky" and did not consider him a good negotiating partner.
"He doesn't want to settle," Trump said. "He says he wants to settle, but he doesn't."
He added that the mutual hostility and mistrust between Putin and Zelensky made reaching prospects of any agreement difficult to achieve.
The Kremlin subsequently endorsed Trump's assertion that the Ukrainian leader was unwilling to reach a deal, while Kyiv has similarly accused Moscow of obstructing negotiations.
Trump also criticised Ukraine's refinery strikes, saying they were driving up oil prices and arguing that Kyiv had other targets available. His administration has maintained that allowing additional Russian diesel exports would help ease fuel costs for American consumers.
Zelensky's anger over the agreement was compounded by restrictions imposed earlier this week on Starlink satellite services, which Ukraine relies on for military communications and drone operations. He described the disruption as a "very dangerous and unpleasant surprise" today, saying service speeds had not been fully restored.
The Trump administration had also reportedly warned that it could restrict intelligence sharing, which is critical to Ukraine's air defences, if Kyiv continued striking Russian oil facilities.
Zelensky has held a series of meetings with European leaders in recent days, including NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and the leaders of Poland, France, Denmark and Belgium. He also met UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham in London on Wednesday.
Ukraine continued its strikes on Russia overnight. Moscow's airspace was closed for several hours, causing flight delays, after Russia's Defence Ministry said 644 Ukrainian drones had been intercepted across 26 regions. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 94 drones had been shot down as they approached the capital.
In the Vladimir region, authorities said drones had been intercepted to prevent an attack on heating infrastructure. In the southern Rostov region, a drone strike hit industrial and warehouse facilities, causing a fire and injuring one person, according to the regional governor.
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