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In an interview with Newsmax, President Donald Trump said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is harder to negotiate with than Russian President Vladimir Putin and said he is “not a big fan” of Zelensky. Trump also criticized Ukraine’s strikes on Russian oil refineries and questioned whether Zelensky retains public support; the two countries dispute whether a reported energy-sector truce was observed.
U.S. President Donald Trump said in a Newsmax interview that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is harder to deal with than Vladimir Putin, adding that he is “not a big fan” of the Ukrainian leader. Trump’s comments included criticism of Ukraine’s strikes on Russian oil refineries and questions about whether Zelensky retains public support, offering a fresh indication of the strains around U.S. diplomacy over the war.
“I find Zelenskyy to be more difficult to deal with than Putin,” Trump said, according to Meduza’s report on the interview. He described Zelensky as “not a good guy for us to deal with” and said the Ukrainian leader claims to want a settlement but does not. Those are Trump’s assessments; the interview report does not provide independent evidence about the leaders’ negotiating positions.
Trump again objected to Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil refineries, saying they were contributing to higher global fuel prices. He called the strikes “a disgrace” and said Ukraine had other targets it could hit. The report gives no independent assessment of the claimed effect on fuel prices or details about the targets Trump was referring to.
Trump also argued that Ukraine should hold elections, despite martial law, and questioned whether Ukrainians remain satisfied with Zelensky during the war. He said he believes the conflict will “end soon” because both sides would like it to end, while also pointing to the hostility between Putin and Zelensky as an obstacle. The remarks were made in a television interview; the report does not indicate a new U.S. policy announcement.
Pressure on Ukraine’s War Diplomacy
The remarks matter because the United States is a key partner in efforts to support Ukraine and shape negotiations with Russia. Publicly describing Zelensky as more difficult to deal with than Putin may add pressure on Kyiv and signal a sharper tone from Trump toward Ukraine’s leadership, even though the interview alone does not establish a change in American policy.
Trump’s comments also link three contested issues: possible negotiations, Ukraine’s attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, and the timing of elections under martial law. His criticism may affect how the competing sides interpret U.S. backing, while his call for an election raises questions about how democratic processes can operate during an ongoing invasion. The report does not establish that an election is scheduled or that Washington has made a formal demand.
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Recent Disputes Over an Energy Truce
The interview follows a series of developments involving energy supplies and attacks on infrastructure. Meduza reported that on October 9 Trump agreed with Putin on supplies of Russian diesel fuel to U.S. and global markets, a decision criticized by Ukraine and European countries.
On October 11, Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a truce in the energy sector. Zelensky said the announcement “came as news” to him. On October 15, Zelensky said Ukraine had refrained from striking Russian oil refineries for three days but would resume attacks because Russia had not observed the truce. Russian authorities, by contrast, have claimed Ukraine never stopped its strikes. Those accounts remain in conflict.
Ukraine has not held national elections during martial law. Trump’s remarks revive the question of whether and when a vote should take place, but the source report supplies no timetable or details about the legal and security conditions needed for one.
“The announced energy truce “came as news” to him.”
— Volodymyr Zelensky, responding to Trump’s October 11 announcement, as reported by Meduza
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Truce Claims Remain Disputed
It is not clear from the interview report what specific negotiations Trump was referring to when he compared Zelensky and Putin, or whether his remarks signal any change in U.S. policy. The report also does not identify evidence for Trump’s claim that Ukraine’s strikes are raising global fuel prices.
The status of the energy-sector truce remains contested. Zelensky said Ukraine paused refinery strikes for three days and then resumed them after Russia failed to observe the truce; Russian officials said Ukraine had not stopped. The report provides no independent verification of either account. It also offers no polling or other evidence to support Trump’s doubts about Zelensky’s public support.
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Watch for Policy and Truce Updates
The next developments to watch are any response from Zelensky or Ukrainian officials to Trump’s interview, and whether the U.S. administration clarifies whether his comments represent a policy position. Further statements from Russia and Ukraine may also shed light on whether any energy-sector truce exists in practice and what each side says it covers.
No election date or new diplomatic meeting was announced in the reported interview. The timing of any vote in Ukraine, the terms of possible negotiations, and the status of refinery strikes remain unresolved in the available account.
Zelensky Ukrainian leader biography
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Key Questions
What did Trump say about Zelensky?
Trump said he finds Zelensky harder to deal with than Putin and described himself as “not a big fan” of the Ukrainian president.
Why did Trump criticize Ukraine’s refinery strikes?
Trump called the attacks a disgrace and said they were driving up global fuel prices. The report does not independently verify the claimed impact on prices.
Did Ukraine and Russia agree to an energy-sector truce?
Trump announced an energy-sector truce on October 11. Zelensky said the announcement came as news to him; he later said Ukraine had paused refinery strikes for three days before resuming them, while Russian authorities claimed Ukraine never stopped.
Has Ukraine scheduled an election?
The report gives no election date. Ukraine has not held elections under martial law, and Trump questioned whether Zelensky retains public support while calling for a vote.
Did Trump announce a new U.S. policy toward Ukraine?
No new policy announcement is reported. Trump’s statements were made in a Newsmax interview, and it remains unclear whether they reflect a change in U.S. policy.
Source: rss
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