WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of not wanting to end the war with Russia, claiming that continued European financial assistance has reduced Kyiv’s incentive to pursue peace.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social on Sunday, Trump said he was making “big progress” in efforts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine but alleged that Zelensky was showing little interest in ending the conflict.
“Frankly, he just doesn’t care,” Trump wrote, adding that Zelensky “doesn’t want to stop the war, and probably never did.”
Trump also defended his decision to ease some sanctions against Russia, arguing that maintaining diplomatic engagement with Moscow was essential to advancing peace negotiations.
“My decisions on Russia are very simple,” Trump said. “I’m trying to get peace between Russia and Ukraine, and I don’t want to do anything foolish that would prevent Russia from coming to the negotiating table.”
The US president recently signed an executive order temporarily waiving certain sanctions on Russia. He has also temporarily eased restrictions on Russian diesel supplies, seeking to increase global fuel availability and bring down energy prices ahead of the November 3 US elections.
The move has reportedly surprised Kyiv and its allies, further straining relations between Trump and Zelensky.
Trump said negotiations were making substantial progress, including discussions on the release of hostages. However, he referred to a document that he said could have been signed earlier or at a later date without specifying what it was. The White House did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for clarification.
Trump also claimed that Russia was providing only limited assistance to Iran despite having the capacity to do more. He said he wanted the situation to remain unchanged unless others interfered.
The US president further accused Ukraine of deliberately targeting Russian oil refineries with drone strikes to undermine the Republican Party ahead of the November 3 elections.
Trump argued that the attacks were contributing to disruptions in global diesel markets and potentially pushing up fuel prices, a politically sensitive issue for American voters.
“Zelensky is deliberately targeting Russia’s diesel refineries,” Trump said, claiming that the attacks were
having a severe impact on diesel markets in the United States and worldwide.Rising energy prices have become a concern for US voters and could affect the Republican Party’s performance in the upcoming elections.
The accusations come as Washington continues its efforts to negotiate an end to the war, now in its fifth year, while disagreements over sanctions, energy supplies and military operations continue to complicate relations between the United States and Ukraine.
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