Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky "never wanted to end" the war with Russia, according to U.S. President Donald Trump.
The real estate mogul made the claim in a Truth Social post on Sunday, Oct. 18. "Frankly, with all of the money that Europe is famously giving him, and that crooked Joe Biden gave him in the past, he doesn’t want to end this war, and probably never did," Trump wrote.
The statement marked a sharp escalation in Trump's public criticism of Zelensky, whom he accused of prolonging the conflict with Moscow. The post came as the U.S.-Ukraine relationship has rapidly declined after Washington announced it would pause sanctions on Moscow and import Russian diesel [1]. The rift between the two leaders has been widening for weeks, with Trump lobbing insults at Zelensky and turning to policies that benefit Russian President Vladimir Putin, while Zelensky has said he feels betrayed and worries for his country's future, according to the Associated Press [3].
U.S. Policy Shift Includes Sanctions Pause and Russian Diesel Imports
The decision to pause sanctions on Moscow and allow Russian fuel imports represented a significant shift in Washington's approach to the war, alarming Kyiv and its European allies. Trump signed sanctions on Russia into law in September but reversed course, The Independent reported [4].
The policy change was accompanied by a separate controversy over Starlink, the satellite internet service owned by Elon Musk. Ukraine said Starlink was purposefully slowed above its territory, hindering its ability to intercept Russian drones. The Telegraph had previously reported that Musk proposed slowing down the satellite to Trump [5]. The sanctions pause and fuel imports drew bipartisan criticism in Washington, with lawmakers from both parties expressing concern over the administration's approach to Moscow.
Ukraine Strikes Russian Infrastructure; Moscow Retaliates on Kyiv
Ukraine launched more than 1,000 drones on Sunday, hitting an oil export terminal in St. Petersburg, a logistics center owned by retailer Ozon and a data center run by VK, according to the report [5]. One person was killed in the Ukrainian strikes, the article stated [5].
The attacks represented one of Ukraine's largest drone offensives of the war, targeting key infrastructure deep inside Russia. The barrage was one of the most intense in recent months, underscoring the escalating violence even as diplomatic efforts faltered.
The strikes and counterstrikes came amid heightened tensions over the U.S. decision to pause sanctions on Moscow and import Russian diesel. Trump criticized Zelensky for targeting Russian diesel refineries, saying the attacks were hurting global diesel markets, including those in the United States [2].
Zelensky and Analysts Respond to the Deepening Rift
Giles said punitive measures from the Trump group or Musk would still be damaging, but Kyiv has assessed that the cost must be borne to continue fighting the war [4]. Analysts said the war of words between Trump and Zelensky stands to hurt Ukraine and benefit Russia. "Where the war of words will end is anybody's guess," according to the New York Times.
Outlook: Rift Deepens With No Resolution in Sight
Trump's public statements and the U.S. policy shift have widened the divide with Kyiv, according to the report [4]. The relationship between the two leaders has deteriorated rapidly in recent weeks, with Trump accusing Zelensky of prolonging the war and Zelensky expressing feelings of betrayal [3].
Zelensky's response and Russia's retaliation indicate the conflict and diplomatic rupture are continuing without a clear path to de-escalation. Trump has said someone other than Zelensky should negotiate on Kyiv's behalf in talks to end Russia's war, according to Al Jazeera [6]. The increasingly personal dispute complicates Trump's efforts to broker an end to the war, according to the Washington Post [7].
References
- Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump and Putin say they. - inkl. https://www.inkl.com/news/ukraine-russia-war-latest-kyiv-launches-1-000-drone-attack-after-trump-accuses-zelensky-of-prolonging-war
- Trump claims to be ‘negotiating peace’ as rift with Zelensky deepens. https://www.thetimes.com/world/russia-ukraine-war/article/trump-claims-to-be-negotiating-peace-as-rift-with-zelensky-deepens-5dl5c69dp
- Trump's shift on Ukraine is pushing ties to new low | AP News. https://apnews.com/article/trump-zelenskyy-putin-ukraine-russia-war-5ff9a53edf6d0f338f40709af6dc9c11
- Trump claims Zelensky 'never wanted to end war' as rift. https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/europe/trump-zelensky-kyiv-war-ukraine-b3069246.html
- Trump claims Zelensky 'never wanted to end war' as rift deepens with .... https://newswav.com/article/trump-claims-zelensky-never-wanted-to-end-war-as-rift-deepens-with-kyiv-A2610_HfA0wh
- US-Ukraine relations sour as Trump, Zelenskyy clash over talks, arms. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/20/us-ukraine-relations-sour-as-trump-zelenskyy-clash-over-talks-arms
- Trump and Zelensky escalate feud as Ukraine war strains alliance. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/10/18/trump-zelensky-escalate-feud-ukraine-war-strains-alliance/
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