TL;DR
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Donald Trump said in a Newsmax interview that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is harder to deal with than Russian President Vladimir Putin, and said he is “not a big fan” of Zelensky. Trump also criticized Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries and questioned whether Zelensky retains public support, while saying he believes the war can end soon.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he finds Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky harder to deal with than Vladimir Putin, repeating his criticism of Ukraine’s approach to negotiations in an interview with Newsmax. Trump also condemned Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries and questioned whether Zelensky retains public support, comments that come amid disagreement over a proposed energy-sector truce.
“I find Zelenskyy to be more difficult to deal with than Putin,” Trump said in the interview, according to Meduza’s report. He described Zelensky as “not a good guy for us to deal with” and said, “He doesn’t want to settle. He says he wants to settle, but he doesn’t.” Trump added: “No, I’m not a big fan of Zelensky.” These are Trump’s assessments; the interview report does not establish that Zelensky has rejected a particular settlement proposal.
Trump again criticized Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil refineries, calling them “a disgrace” and saying there were other targets. He argued the strikes were contributing to higher global fuel prices. The source report provides no supporting figures or independent evidence for that connection, so it remains Trump’s stated rationale rather than a quantified finding.
Trump also called for an election in Ukraine and expressed doubt that Zelensky still has public backing during the war. Ukraine has not held elections under martial law. Trump said he believes the war could “end soon,” arguing that both sides want it to end, but he also pointed to the hostility between Putin and Zelensky as an obstacle to reaching a settlement.
Dispute Over Truce and Negotiations
Trump’s remarks matter because the U.S. president is publicly criticizing Ukraine’s leader while discussing a possible end to Russia’s war. His comments could shape perceptions of Washington’s approach to Kyiv and add pressure to negotiations, though the interview alone does not establish a change in U.S. policy or a new negotiating position.
The criticism of refinery strikes also comes amid conflicting accounts of an energy-sector truce. The strikes concern a key part of the war, while Trump has linked them to fuel prices. That makes the disagreement relevant beyond the battlefield, but the source report does not quantify the effect on markets or establish the terms of any truce.
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Recent Energy Truce Disagreement
On October 9, Trump agreed with Putin on supplies of Russian diesel fuel to U.S. and global markets, according to Meduza. Ukraine and European countries criticized that decision. Two days later, Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a truce in the energy sector. Zelensky said the announcement “came as news” to him, indicating that the Ukrainian president had not been informed of such an agreement as Trump described it.
On October 15, Zelensky said Ukraine had not struck Russian oil refineries for three days but would resume attacks because Russia had not observed the truce. Russian authorities, by contrast, claim Ukraine never stopped its strikes. The accounts conflict; the report does not independently resolve whether either side complied with a ceasefire arrangement.
Ukraine’s election schedule is also affected by the ongoing war: elections have not been held under martial law. Trump’s call for an election therefore intersects with the country’s wartime legal and political conditions, rather than describing an election already scheduled or agreed to.
“The announcement “came as news” to him.”
— Volodymyr Zelensky, responding to Trump’s October 11 truce announcement
Terms of the Truce Remain Disputed
The interview report does not identify a specific settlement proposal that Zelensky supposedly rejected, nor does it provide evidence for Trump’s claim that Ukraine’s refinery strikes are raising global fuel prices. It also does not establish what public-opinion evidence Trump was relying on when he questioned Zelensky’s support.
The status and terms of the energy-sector truce remain unclear in the source material. Trump announced an agreement, Zelensky said the announcement was news to him, and the parties have offered conflicting accounts of subsequent refinery attacks. It is not clear whether a mutually accepted arrangement was formalized, what it covered, or how compliance would be verified.
Watch for Truce and U.S. Policy Updates
Further statements from Washington, Kyiv and Moscow may clarify whether the energy-sector truce exists in terms accepted by both Ukraine and Russia, and whether either side plans to observe it. The source report gives no date for a follow-up negotiation or any next formal diplomatic meeting.
Readers should also distinguish Trump’s comments in the interview from official policy decisions. No new U.S. measure or change to election rules in Ukraine was announced in the reported remarks. The immediate developments to watch are any official clarification of the truce, further statements on refinery attacks, and whether the United States outlines a specific diplomatic proposal.
Key Questions
What did Trump say about Zelensky?
Trump said he finds Zelensky harder to deal with than Putin, accused him of not wanting to settle, and said he is “not a big fan” of the Ukrainian president.
Did Trump announce a new agreement to end the war?
No new settlement agreement was announced in the reported interview. Trump said he believes the war will end soon, but the report identifies no agreed terms or timetable.
What is the dispute over the energy-sector truce?
Trump said Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a truce in the energy sector. Zelensky said the announcement came as news to him, and the sides have offered conflicting accounts of Ukraine’s refinery strikes.
Why have elections not been held in Ukraine?
Ukraine has not held elections under martial law during the ongoing war. Trump called for an election in the interview, but the report does not say that one has been scheduled.
Is it confirmed that Ukrainian strikes are raising global fuel prices?
No. Trump said the attacks were driving up fuel prices, but the source report gives no figures or independent evidence to verify that claim.
Source: rss
