‘We’re done’: Zelenskyy defies Trump after Putin attacks Ukraine, says will keep hitting Russian refineries
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Kyiv will resume strikes on Russian oil refineries after Moscow targeted Kyiv infrastructure, declaring an end to its pause on energy attacks despite pressure from US President Donald Trump to halt them.“The block [on attacking refineries] is out. We’re done,” Financial Times quoted Zelenskyy as saying. He expressed anger over the reported withdrawal of US intelligence support and disruptions to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service amid intensified Russian attacks.Zelenskyy said Ukraine had paused energy strikes for three days in response to Washington’s requests, while Russia continued attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure. He said more than 100 civilians had been killed in Russian attacks over the past week.Following his remarks, Russia’s Ryazan governor Pavel Malkov said Ukrainian drone strikes had caused a fire at a refinery owned by state oil company Rosneft. A Ukrainian official said that Kyiv had targeted the facility overnight in retaliation for Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.Ukraine’s state energy company Naftogaz also said a Russian strike on one of its gas production facilities east of Kyiv had forced operations to stop.
Zelenskyy accuses US of weakening support
The Ukrainian president said his military had been deprived of US early-warning alerts for incoming ballistic missiles, while reduced Starlink speeds had hampered frontline operations and strikes against Russian military targets.Zelenskyy said Ukrainian military officials had been told by their US counterparts that continued attacks on Russian energy infrastructure would result in intelligence being blocked. The disruption was subsequently presented to Kyiv as a technical issue, he said.“It was not a technical problem, it was the will,” Zelenskyy said.His office later confirmed that Starlink functionality had been restored and speed restrictions lifted. Trump had earlier denied that Washington had cut off intelligence-sharing with Ukraine.Zelenskyy also criticised Washington’s pursuit of business deals with Moscow, arguing that such arrangements could provide Russia with additional resources to sustain its war effort.“The question will be when will the next deal be? Maybe it will be gas. Definitely it will be gas,” he said.
Zelenskyy questions Trump’s admiration for Putin
Asked about the relationship between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zelenskyy suggested the US president admired leaders who remained in power for decades.“He [Trump] speaks about it openly and loudly that he loves such people and he respects such people. Because for him people who can be leaders 20 years, 30 years, 40 years, it means they can be very strong,” he said.The comments come amid a deepening strain in relations between Kyiv and Washington, Ukraine’s most important security partner. The relationship deteriorated sharply after a public confrontation between Trump and Zelenskyy at the White House in February last year.Zelenskyy said he could consider stopping attacks on Russian energy infrastructure if Washington supplied additional US-made Patriot air defence interceptors, describing this as the minimum he had requested.He also rejected the suggestion that repairing ties with Washington was solely his responsibility. “We didn’t destroy any relationship,” he said.Despite the tensions, Zelenskyy stressed that continued cooperation with the US and Europe was crucial for Ukraine.
Source link
