The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned this Sunday that it would be "a historical mistake" and "a great tragedy" for Washington to support Moscow in the war, in statements made to NBC News' "Meet the Press" program that raise the tension between Kiev and the Trump administration to its most critical point.
"If the United States supports Putin, it's incredible, it's a tragedy, it's a historical mistake," Zelenski stated, while also clarifying that Ukraine still regards the U.S. as an ally and wishes to trust Trump: "We want to trust him."
The immediate trigger for the statements is the accumulation of decisions made by the Trump administration that Kiev interprets as a rapprochement with Russia. On October 9, Trump announced an agreement with Putin to import up to 4.8 million tons of Russian diesel, backed by a U.S. Treasury license valid until April 2027. Two days later, he proclaimed a supposed "energy ceasefire" that Moscow never officially confirmed. And on October 16, Trump suspended via executive order the main sanctions and tariffs outlined in the Lindsey Graham Act — which he himself had enacted on September 18 — citing "national interest," just two days before they were set to take effect.
The Kremlin envoy, Kiril Dmítriev, described that suspension as a "historic moment," while the measure sparked bipartisan criticism in the U.S. Congress.
In that context, Zelenski denounced this Sunday, in a message posted on social media X, that since the announcement of the energy ceasefire, Russia has deliberately attacked the energy, oil, and gas sectors of Ukraine on 76 occasions.
"Since the President of the United States announced the energy ceasefire a week ago, Russia has deliberately attacked the energy, oil, and gas sectors of Ukraine on 76 occasions," the leader specified.
Only during the night from Saturday to Sunday, the attacks targeted electrical substations in the regions of Vínnitsa, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, and Odesa, leaving over 500,000 consumers without electricity.
In total, during the last week, Russia launched nearly 2,700 suicide drones, 1,700 aerial bombs, and 66 missiles, mostly ballistic, against Ukraine. "The main targets of these attacks are energy facilities: the Russians are trying to provoke a widespread blackout," emphasized Zelensky.
In response, Ukraine launched one of its largest drone attacks this Sunday against St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region, causing fires at oil terminals and leaving around 20,000 people without electricity.
Zelensky demanded that Washington recognize the reality on the ground: "The United States should see that Russia is not taking any reciprocal actions in response to the easing of sanctions or the agreements reached."
The Ukrainian president also rejected the notion that the responsibility for the war lies with Kyiv: "The war continues precisely because of Russia's stance, not because Ukraine is legitimately defending itself."
The relationship between Zelenski and Trump has progressively deteriorated in recent weeks. Trump suggested that it was time for Ukraine to have a new president and the administration threatened to reduce the supply of intelligence and ammunition to Kiev if it did not stop the attacks on Russian oil facilities.
"It is Russia that must face the pressure for peace to have a chance," concluded Zelensky, in what constitutes his most direct call to date for Washington to shift its demands from Kiev to Moscow.
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