In brief
U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, describing him as "more difficult to deal with than Putin" after Ukraine announced it will resume attacks on Russian oil refineries. Zelensky is currently in Brussels for an EU summit, where his stance on energy targets was debated by European leaders. While Trump called the strikes a disgrace, EU officials argued Russia has not honored a previously agreed ceasefire, prompting a call for tougher sanctions. Meanwhile, the United States is simultaneously securing fuel shipments from Russia, a move that Zelensky denounced as a gift to Putin. The escalating tensions underscore a widening rift between Washington and Ukraine amid the ongoing war.
US President Donald Trump has sharply criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying that Ukraine’s leader is "more difficult to deal with than Vladimir Putin" after Ukraine announced plans to resume strikes on Russian oil refineries.
Zelensky is in Brussels for a summit with EU leaders, where his decision to pause the attacks for three days at Trump’s request for a ceasefire on energy targets has been discussed.
Despite the pause, Zelensky said the strikes would resume because Moscow has never stopped, as European officials point out Russia has not respected the agreed ceasefire.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen noted that Russia escalated and that sanctions will not be lifted until the war stops.
The U.S. is also securing 300,000 tonnes of Russian diesel for the American market, a deal that Zelensky criticized as a gift to Putin.
During the summit, Zelensky met with NATO chief Mark Rutte, presidents of Poland, France, Denmark and Belgium, and discussed further talks with EU leaders.
