US President Donald Trump has criticised Ukraine’s renewed attacks on Russian oil refineries, describing the strikes as a “disgrace” and accusing Kyiv of contributing to higher global oil prices.
Trump made the remarks during an interview with Newsmax that aired on Thursday, October 15, following Ukraine’s resumption of attacks on Russian energy facilities.
The comments came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Kyiv was abandoning a ceasefire covering energy infrastructure, which Trump had previously said was in place. Zelenskyy also criticised the US president’s willingness to negotiate agreements with Moscow.
Ukraine subsequently struck a Rosneft oil refinery southeast of Moscow, a facility that helps supply fuel to the Russian capital.
Reacting to the attack, Trump argued that targeting oil refineries could worsen the global energy situation by disrupting the production of essential fuels.
“All he’s doing is making the world oil price higher. Well, I think that’s a disgrace,” Trump said, referring to Zelenskyy.
He further argued that attacks on facilities producing diesel could have consequences beyond Russia because diesel remains important to transportation and other economic activities worldwide.
“There are a lot of targets you can hit, but when you shoot at diesel refineries where you make, you know, diesel oil, and we need that, and the world needs that, then he’s not doing a good service for the world,” Trump added.
Ukraine’s attacks come amid continued Russian missile and drone strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure, including power stations and energy facilities. The attacks have disrupted electricity supplies, leaving hundreds of thousands of people affected.
Zelenskyy reportedly told the Financial Times that Ukraine had run out of patience following the continued Russian attacks.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has been attempting to broker a ceasefire agreement to end the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
During the Newsmax interview, Trump also repeated his view that the personal hostility between Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin was making negotiations more difficult.
“I’m not a big fan of Zelenskiy,” Trump said, adding that he considered the Ukrainian leader more difficult to deal with than Putin.
The dispute over refinery attacks comes as Washington continues to pressure Kyiv to halt strikes on Russian oil facilities.
In another development, Ukraine has reportedly faced reduced access to a satellite system used for battlefield communications and drone operations. Two US officials and a Western official briefed on the matter told Reuters that the decision to limit access originated within the White House, although they did not identify who made or implemented the order.
The latest developments highlight the growing disagreements surrounding efforts to end the war, with questions remaining over how a ceasefire could be achieved while attacks on energy infrastructure continue on both sides.
