Zelensky says Ukraine will resume strikes on Russian refineries, as frustration with Trump mounts

Ukraine will resume strikes on Russia’s oil refineries President Volodymyr Zelensky told the Financial Times in a fiery interview where he lamented what he said was a “dangerous” withdrawal of US intelligence sharing and access to the Starlink satellite internet service. “The block [on attacking refineries] is out. We’re done,” Zelensky told the FT in London.

The comments by Zelensky are the latest that publicly lay bare the growing frustration he has with President Donald Trump, deepening the already fractious relationship between the two leaders. Trump announced a controversial deal last week to buy Russian diesel and he has heaped pressure on Ukraine to stop striking Moscow’s refineries as he works to bring down energy costs ahead of the midterm elections. Then on Wednesday, Ukraine said Starlink had restricted some military internet services, disrupting key operations, deepening alarm in both Kyiv and among European allies.

According to the FT, Zelensky condemned Trump’s willingness to strike business deals with Moscow as well as the US president’s apparent admiration for Russia’s Vladimir Putin. He also said Ukrainian military officials were told by their US counterparts that “if you will not stop [the energy strikes], we will block intelligence”. Zelensky’s warning that strikes on Russian refineries will resume came after another interview where he voiced anger over Trump’s fuel deal with Moscow.

When asked by British media personality Piers Morgan if he had been “betrayed” by the Trump administration, Zelensky answered, “Yes,” describing the agreement as a “simple victory” for the Kremlin. “It’s a pity that we are losing a strong partner,” the Ukrainian president told Morgan on Wednesday during his YouTube talk show, “Piers Morgan Uncensored.” Last week, Trump wrote on social media that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin agreed to supply markets with his country’s diesel fuel as the US president works to bring down energy costs ahead of the midterm elections. That move drew bipartisan criticism and sparked anger among European allies.

On Monday, Russian forces launched fresh attacks on Ukraine just hours after the US president stated an “energy ceasefire” had come into effect – a measure that neither Moscow nor Kyiv had publicly confirmed. In a clip shared on X from the interview with Morgan, the Ukrainian president said: “This is our country, our bod… President Volodymyr Zelensky made the announcement in an interview with The Financial Times.

He had paused the strikes to comply with a demand from the United States. Ukraine has resumed its attacks on Russian refineries with a strike at an installation in the Ryazan region, the regional governor said on Thursday, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky voiced his anger at a “dangerous” withdrawal of US intelligence. Since ‌US President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement of an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine on Sunday, Kyiv had refrained from attacking Russian refineries, which the US leader had blamed for raising diesel prices on global...