US President Donald Trump has launched a fresh attack on President Volodymyr Zelensky, describing Ukraine as a "shambles" and claiming the Ukrainian leader "doesn't want to end this war," in a further push for Kyiv to surrender to Russia.
Tensions between the two presidents have escalated after Trump made a controversial deal with Moscow to import diesel and branded Zelensky "more difficult to deal with than Putin."
Trump's Truth Social Post
On Sunday night, Trump posted on Truth Social, stating that the US is "in the process of negotiating peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine" and adding that Zelensky "doesn't want to end this war."
Trump defended his decision to prevent new sanctions from being placed on Moscow despite criticism, saying he does not "want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table."
He said of the sanctions: "I can sign it later, or any time that I want!" The president also attacked Zelensky, stating "Zelensky doesn't care" and "his country is in shambles."
Zelensky's Response
Zelensky told NBC on Sunday that waiving sanctions against Russia would strengthen Putin's war effort and be a "historic mistake" for Washington.
He told NBC: "People want to forget what's going on. But we can't give this possibility to forget, or to change reality, or to change the truth."
"We can't compare me and Putin. He's aggressor. He occupied us. He killed adults and children, his soldiers. He's a terrorist. And that's why I hope that President Trump will be very clear with this position."
Zelensky later posted on X that he had spoken with US presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner following a meeting between US and Ukrainian negotiating teams in Miami on October 9, as well as "next steps in diplomacy."
Ongoing Strikes
Ukraine launched a new wave of strikes on Russian oil refineries this week, which Zelensky has claimed is standing up to the diesel deal he cannot accept.
Russia's defence ministry said on Sunday it had destroyed 1,015 Ukrainian drones over 15 Russian regions, the annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and the Black Sea.
Earlier this week Ukraine did pause attacks on Russian oil facilities, but after Russia reportedly attacked Ukraine's energy, oil and gas sectors 76 times in the week since Trump's announcement, Zelensky resumed strikes.
Trump concluded his post on Sunday with "I WANT THIS WAR END!"
