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President Donald Trump said in a Newsmax interview that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is harder to negotiate with than Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump also criticized Ukraine’s strikes on Russian oil refineries and questioned whether Zelensky retains public support, while saying he still believes the war will end soon.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he finds Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky harder to deal with than Russian President Vladimir Putin in an interview with the right-wing channel Newsmax, renewing criticism of Kyiv as the two countries remain at war. Trump also faulted Ukraine’s strikes on Russian oil refineries and questioned whether Zelensky retains public support, while saying he believes the war will end soon.
“I find Zelenskyy to be more difficult to deal with than Putin,” Trump said, according to Meduza’s report of the interview. He described Zelensky as “not a good guy for us to deal with” and said he was “not a big fan” of the Ukrainian leader. Trump alleged that Zelensky says he wants a settlement but does not want to reach one; the interview report provides no independent evidence for that assessment.
Trump again objected to Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil refineries, calling them “a disgrace” and saying there were other targets. He argued the strikes were pushing up global fuel prices. His remarks came after Zelensky said on October 15 that Ukraine had paused strikes on Russian refineries for three days but would resume them because Russia had not observed an energy-sector truce. Russian authorities, Meduza reported, claim Ukraine never stopped the strikes.
Trump also renewed his call for elections in Ukraine, where voting has not been held under martial law. He questioned whether Zelensky still had public support, citing the ongoing danger to civilians. He said he nonetheless believed the war would “end soon,” while describing the personal hostility between Putin and Zelensky as an obstacle to an agreement, despite Zelensky saying Putin was ready to discuss peace ideas.
Trump’s Remarks Complicate Peace Signals
The comments put Trump’s public criticism of Kyiv alongside his stated expectation that the war can end soon. His comparison of Zelensky with Putin, a leader whose country launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, may affect how allies and the parties interpret Washington’s approach to negotiations. The interview alone does not establish a change in U.S. policy or negotiating terms.
The remarks also touch two live points of dispute: Ukraine’s attacks on Russian energy infrastructure and the possibility of elections during martial law. Trump linked the refinery strikes to fuel prices, while Zelensky’s stated reason for resuming them was Russia’s alleged failure to honor a truce. Those competing accounts matter to any assessment of whether an energy pause exists and what either side expects from it.
Ukrainian flag and emblem lapel pin
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Recent Disputes Over Energy Truce
The interview follows a series of public statements about energy supplies and a possible pause in attacks. On October 9, Trump agreed with Putin on supplies of Russian diesel fuel to U.S. and global markets; Ukraine and European countries criticized the decision, according to Meduza.
On October 11, Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an energy-sector truce. Zelensky said the announcement “came as news” to him. Four days later, Zelensky said Ukraine had refrained from refinery strikes for three days and would resume them because Russia had not observed the truce. The two sides’ accounts of the strikes therefore remain in conflict.
Ukraine has not held elections while martial law is in force. Trump’s renewed call for a vote does not change that legal and wartime situation, and the interview report does not say that a date for an election has been set.
“The truce announced by Trump “came as news” to him.”
— Volodymyr Zelensky, responding to Trump’s October 11 announcement, as reported by Meduza
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Truce Terms and Strike Claims Disputed
It remains unclear whether Russia and Ukraine reached a mutually accepted energy-sector truce, what terms it included, or whether either side formally monitored compliance. Zelensky’s account of a three-day pause and Russia’s claim that Ukrainian strikes continued are contradictory, and the source report does not provide independent verification.
Trump’s comments do not specify what steps, if any, the United States will take to advance negotiations or address the refinery strikes. The interview report also provides no polling or other evidence to establish the level of public support for Zelensky. It does not identify a timeline for Ukrainian elections.
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Negotiations Face Immediate Questions
The next indications will come from any further statements by Washington, Kyiv or Moscow on negotiations and the status of an energy pause. Public confirmation of agreed terms, if any, would help clarify the competing accounts of refinery attacks and compliance.
Trump said he believes the war will end soon, but he did not describe a timetable or a specific settlement proposal in the remarks reported by Meduza. The interview leaves open whether his criticism will be followed by a policy change or further diplomatic steps.
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Key Questions
What did Trump say about Zelensky?
Trump said he finds Zelensky harder to deal with than Putin, called him “not a good guy for us to deal with,” and said he was “not a big fan.”
What did Trump say about Ukraine’s refinery strikes?
He called the strikes “a disgrace,” said other targets were available and argued they were raising global fuel prices. Those were Trump’s claims in the interview.
Was there an agreed energy-sector truce?
That remains disputed. Trump announced one on October 11; Zelensky said the announcement was news to him. Zelensky later said Ukraine had paused refinery strikes for three days, while Russian authorities claim Ukrainian strikes never stopped.
Why has Ukraine not held elections?
Ukraine has not held elections because martial law is in force. Trump called for an election and questioned Zelensky’s public support, but the reported interview gave no election date or evidence establishing current support levels.
Source: rss
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