Trump is taking his midterms anger out on Ukraine

President Donald Trump denounced Ukraine’s resumption of attacks on Russian oil refineries as a “disgrace” on Thursday, escalating a sharp diplomatic rift with Kyiv over energy security and wartime conduct. The US president stated in an interview with the Newsmax television network that Ukrainian strikes on diesel production facilities were artificially inflating global oil prices, a factor he argued could harm American consumers ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. Trump asserted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was choosing wrong targets and suggested that the Ukrainian leader was more difficult to negotiate with than Russian President Vladimir Putin. The confrontation follows a rapid deterioration in relations between Washington and Kyiv. On Sunday, Trump announced an “energy ceasefire,” claiming both belligerents had agreed to halt attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure. However, neither the Russian government nor the Ukrainian government confirmed they had accepted such terms. By Wednesday, Zelenskyy declared the arrangement over, stating that Kyiv would no longer adhere to the truce because Moscow continued to target Ukraine’s power grid. Following this declaration, Ukrainian forces struck a Russian oil refinery on Thursday. Neither side reported new strikes on Russian refineries on Friday. Trump’s criticism centers on the economic impact of the strikes. He told Newsmax host Rob Finnerty that if Zelenskyy continues shooting at refineries, he is only making world oil prices higher. “There’s plenty of other targets; they don’t have to hit,” Trump said. He characterized Zelenskyy as “not a good guy for us to deal with” regarding the war. While acknowledging that both leaders likely desire an end to the conflict, Trump maintained that he finds Zelenskyy harder to manage than Putin. The US president has previously linked rising domestic fuel costs to these cross-border attacks, despite analysts noting that disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz resulting from US military actions in Iran have played a larger role in global energy market volatility. Tensions intensified last week when Trump revealed a deal to purchase diesel from Russia. The agreement, which reversed years of US sanctions policy, was widely interpreted as an effort to lower pump prices for American voters before the midterms. Zelenskyy condemned the move, arguing it allowed Russia to fund its invasion of Ukraine, which has lasted more than four and a half years. In response, Trump publicly called for Zelenskyy to be replaced as Ukraine’s leader. Zelenskyy expressed frustration with the US approach in an interview with the Financial Times, stating, “We didn’t destroy any relationship,” while blaming the White House for the strain in ties and criticizing Trump’s perceived warmth toward autocratic regimes. A parallel crisis emerged regarding military communications. Ukrainian officials reported that access to Starlink, the satellite internet system operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, and Starshield, its military variant, had been restricted without warning. These systems are critical for Ukrainian drone operations, air defense networks, and general battlefield communications. Kyiv alleged that the throttling of the service left its forces vulnerable to Russian missile and drone attacks. Musk stated that such technical decisions fell under the jurisdiction of the US military and ultimately the president. A senior US official later denied that the president had requested any such restrictions, though the disruption persisted for several days. Ukraine said the service was restored on Thursday, but the incident fueled suspicions in Kyiv that Washington was using battlefield support as leverage to force a peace settlement. In London this week, Zelenskyy described the sudden restriction of satellite services as a personal betrayal by Trump. British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said on Thursday that his US counterpart, Pete Hegseth, had assured him in person that the satellite communications system had been fully restored. Streeting noted that the exact cause of the initial disruption remained unclear but acknowledged that falling outs between Washington and Kyiv are not unprecedented. Zelenskyy traveled to Brussels on Friday to secure backing from European allies. He met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and held bilateral meetings with other European leaders before joining an EU summit. During these engagements, Zelenskyy referred to his European counterparts as “real leaders,” contrasting their support with what he viewed as inconsistent US commitments. European officials have expressed concern over the stability of US intelligence sharing, which provides early warnings of Russian missile launches. Recent Ukrainian strikes occurred without the usual advance notice from Western partners, prompting alarms in Kyiv about the reliability of allied intelligence feeds. The strategic calculus behind Ukraine’s refinery strikes has shifted. Initially intended to create a fuel crisis within Russia and strengthen Kyiv’s position at the negotiating table, the campaign now risks isolating Ukraine diplomatically. As Washington presses for an immediate end to hostilities, Kyiv faces a dilemma: continuing attacks that provoke US political backlash or halting them and ceding tactical ground to Russia. The lack of consensus on the “energy ceasefire” leaves both nations in a volatile standoff, with Trump threatening further pressure if strikes continue, and Zelenskyy insisting that mutual compliance is impossible while Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure persist.