US President Donald Trump has once again sharply criticised Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stating that it is more difficult to negotiate an end to the war with him than with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In an interview with the American television channel Newsmax on 15 October 2026, Trump described Ukraine’s strikes on Russian oil refineries as a «disgrace», accused the Ukrainian leadership of being unwilling to conclude a peace agreement, and once again raised the issue of the presidential election. Furthermore, without providing any evidence, he claimed that American missiles supplied to Ukraine during Joe Biden’s presidency were allegedly being resold on the open market.
- Trump said that it is more difficult to reach an agreement with Zelenskyy than with Putin.
- The US President has criticised Ukraine’s resumption of attacks on Russian oil refineries.
- Trump accused Ukraine of reselling American missiles, without providing any evidence.
- The US President has once again spoken out in favour of holding elections in Ukraine.
Trump has stated that he does not wish to negotiate with Zelenskyy
During an interview with Newsmax TV Donald Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with the Ukrainian president’s actions, in particular his decision to resume attacks on Russian oil infrastructure.
The American leader stated that he had previously asked Zelensky to stop Strikes on oil refineries Russia, however, Kyiv refused to extend the restrictions.
«Zelenskyy is not the sort of person we should be dealing with,» Trump said.
According to him, the Ukrainian president allegedly is not interested in concluding a peace agreement, although he publicly states that he is prepared to negotiate.
Trump also suggested that a final agreement to end the war might be reached with a different Ukrainian leadership. Towards the end of the interview, he reiterated that, in his view, it is more difficult to negotiate with Zelenskyy than with Putin.
Trump described Ukraine’s strikes on Russian oil refineries as a «disgrace»
Trump devoted a separate section of the interview to Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries.
The US President claims that strikes against the Russian oil industry are fuelling growth world prices on energy resources, in particular diesel fuel. He stated that Ukraine is capable of attacking other military targets without affecting the oil refining industry.
According to Trump, diesel is essential not only for the United States but also for the global economy, so such attacks run counter to his plans to stabilise the fuel market.
Earlier, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said., …that Kyiv had suspended strikes on Russian energy facilities for three days at Washington’s request. However, Russia continued to attack Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure, following which the Ukrainian side announced the end of the unilateral pause.
On 15 October, Ukraine carried out a strike on an oil refinery in the Ryazan Oblast of Russia.
Trump has accused Ukraine of reselling American missiles
Another controversial statement by the US President concerned the military aid that Ukraine had received under the administration of Joe Biden.
Trump has cast doubt on the use of the funds and weapons provided by Washington to the Ukrainian side. According to him, Biden provided Ukraine with aid which Trump estimated at approximately $350 billion, including equipment and funding.
The US President stated that the missiles that were sent to Ukraine were allegedly sold on the open market. Furthermore, his statement referred to the alleged resale of some of the missiles, rather than the sale of absolutely all the weapons received by Ukraine.
Previously, US oversight bodies had been monitoring the use of military aid to Ukraine. In the reports covering the period up to March 2026, no credible evidence was found of the illegal diversion of US-supplied weapons. The audits identified isolated shortcomings in record-keeping and controls, which in themselves do not prove that the missiles were resold.
The US President has once again spoken about the elections in Ukraine
Donald Trump also stated that Ukraine needs a presidential election, as, in his view, citizens are dissatisfied with the continuation of the war and Russian strikes on residential buildings.
During the interview, he quoted a Ukrainian woman who, in a television report, had accused Zelenskyy of the loss of lives and the destruction suffered by the country. Trump used this story as an argument in favour of a change in Ukraine’s leadership.
At the same time Article 19 of the Law of Ukraine «On the Legal Regime of Martial Law» expressly prohibits the holding of presidential, parliamentary and local elections whilst martial law is in force. In order to organise presidential elections, the necessary legal and security conditions must be put in place.
Trump compared the human resources of Russia and Ukraine
In explaining his position on the prospects for ending the war, the US President drew attention to the population sizes of the two countries. According to Trump, Russia has significantly greater human resources and can continue hostilities even in the face of extremely heavy losses.
He stated that Russia could lose a million troops but would still have substantial reserves. At the same time, Ukraine does not have comparable human resources.
The US President also expressed the hope that the Russian-Ukrainian war would come to an end in the near future, but did not specify any particular timeframe or mention a new, agreed peace plan.
Trump’s latest comments came against a backdrop of tension between Kyiv and Washington
The US President’s latest comments came following Washington’s decision to ease restrictions on the supply of Russian diesel fuel.
Kyiv has criticised the agreements reached between the US administration and Moscow, emphasising that the additional revenue from the sale of energy resources could be used by Russia to fund the war.
The Ukrainian side expressed particular concern about delays in the transmission of warnings regarding Russian ballistic missile strikes and restrictions on satellite communications Starshield.
Despite political differences, the United States and Ukraine continue to cooperate in certain areas of defence.
