'I'm not a big fan of Zelensky,' Trump says as US-Ukraine tensions deepen

U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with President Volodymyr Zelensky during an interview with Newsmax, calling Zelensky "not a good guy for (the U.S.) to deal with." Trump claimed that Zelensky is not interested in ending the Russia-Ukraine war and that he wants the conflict to be resolved, yet he does not take any steps towards that goal. Trump expressed his dislike for Zelensky, stating that the Ukrainian president has destroyed his country.

The comments came after Zelensky lifted restrictions on strikes against Russian oil refineries following continued strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. The tension between the two leaders has been deepening, with Trump previously blaming Ukrainian strikes for rising global fuel prices, a claim that experts disagree with, and threatening to cut off intelligence support and arms shipments unless Kyiv halted the attacks.

In a surprising move, Washington unveiled a deal allowing Russia to export diesel fuel to the U.S. and other markets despite sanctions imposed due to the invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian officials were caught off guard by Trump's unilateral announcement of an energy truce between Russia and Ukraine on October 11. Despite Kyiv backing the truce and pausing its strikes against Russian refineries, Russia has continued attacking the Ukrainian power grid, with no criticism from Trump.

Zelensky dismissed Trump's latest comments, stating that he does not feel betrayed but acknowledges that the situation is more complicated than just his emotions. Ukraine's president has yet to respond to Trump's recent comments. The ongoing rift follows months of failed negotiations for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, with Russia continuing to target Ukrainian energy infrastructure ahead of the winter months.