US President Donald Trump has condemned Ukraine’s renewed strikes on Russian oil refineries as a “disgrace,” intensifying a war of words after an abrupt energy ceasefire collapsed. Speaking in an interview with Newsmax, Trump argued that the strikes drive up global oil prices and criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stating that he finds the Ukrainian leader more difficult to deal with than Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The escalation follows the breakdown of a brief energy ceasefire announced by Trump, which neither Russia nor Ukraine claimed to have officially agreed to. Kyiv resumed targeting Russian energy infrastructure after abandoning the arrangement, prompting criticism from Washington that the attacks harm global diesel supplies. Relations between Kyiv and Washington have faced additional strain recently, including disputes over US sanctions relief for Russia and temporary restrictions on Ukraine’s access to Starlink satellite communications.
During a visit to Brussels, Zelenskyy received strong backing from European leaders. European Council President António Costa assured the Ukrainian leader of continued support, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the EU intended to increase pressure on Russia with a new round of sanctions. French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also voiced support, emphasizing the importance of providing Ukraine with the means to defend itself amidst ongoing Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.
Source: The Guardian
Source: Trump calls Ukraine’s renewed strikes on Russian oil refineries a ‘disgrace’ (source-feed timestamp 2026-10-16T09:05:55+00:00). AI-assisted report based on the cited linked article and its RSS feed; details were not independently verified.
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