Trump on Russia, Ukraine attacks: 'They're both a little off'

US President Donald Trump reiterated on October 13 that the United States continues sharing intelligence with Ukraine, despite reports suggesting Washington threatened to suspend such assistance if Kyiv halted strikes on Russian oil refineries. The disclosure emerged following Ukraine's lack of advance warning before Russia's recent ballistic missile attack, sparking doubts about the effectiveness of intelligence sharing between Kyiv and Washington.

In an interview at the White House, Trump affirmed US support for Ukraine and its intelligence sharing efforts, emphasizing the need to end the war. Criticism arose over Trump's recent deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his pressure on Kyiv to make concessions, even as Russia continued its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Zelenskyy reported that Ukraine refrained from targeting Russian oil refineries for two days following Trump's announcement of an energy ceasefire, yet Russia persisted in its assaults on Ukrainian facilities and critical infrastructure, with 19 Ukrainian regions under attack during that period. Trump contended that both Russia and Ukraine breached the energy ceasefire, arguing each party bore responsibility.

He also suggested that Putin desired a deal and that Washington must persuade Zelenskyy to accept it. The latest report on the Russian strike has raised questions about whether Ukraine receives timely intelligence warnings to safeguard civilians. Ukraine received no advance notice before the recent attack. Early warnings of incoming Russian ballistic missiles provide Ukrainians with a brief window to seek shelter before impact, with US intelligence instrumental in generating these alerts.

Zelenskyy stated that Russia's latest attack employed five ballistic missiles and over 100 drones, and that Ukraine had not been warned prior to the strike. He emphasized that early warnings of ballistic missile launches save lives, preventing casualties when civilians are informed of impending threats. Ukrainian officials, however, questioned the reported failure of the intelligence warning system.

Citing an unnamed source, POLITICO reported that US officials attributed the missing warning to adverse weather conditions. Ukrainian officials, however, remained skeptical, with the Air Force spokesperson citing previous technical failures of the warning system. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha confirmed that intelligence sharing remains ongoing through the platform.