The dispute between Trump and Zelensky threatens vital support for Kiev

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From American threats to stop supporting Ukraine with intelligence information to a diesel agreement that may help Russia finance its war, the past week was bad for relations between Kiev and Washington, its most important ally.

Amid US President Donald Trump's dissatisfaction with rising energy costs, which he partly blames on Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, he has repeatedly criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The disruption of satellite Internet services provided by the United States has raised fears that Ukraine may become more vulnerable as it prepares for a new winter of Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure.

Zelensky responded to Trump's criticism with an unusual series of sharp public statements, suggesting that the United States was siding with Russia. He said that Ukraine would ignore Trump's demand to stop targeting Russian energy facilities, pointing to the continuation of Russian attacks.

This intensified the dispute, as Trump on Friday suspended major US sanctions and customs duties linked to Russia, shortly before they were due to take effect. This prompted Zelensky to say, in a post on social media, that Trump's decision would encourage Russia to continue its attacks on Ukraine.

The widening gap of differences has raised fears that the volatile relationship between Trump and Zelensky will lead to worse results for Kiev. Trump could still restrict arms supplies to Ukraine, carry out his threats to stop sharing battlefield intelligence, or conclude more economic agreements with Moscow.

Two Ukrainian officials familiar with the talks, who requested to remain anonymous, revealed to Reuters that despite Zelensky's statements, Kiev wants to continue the dialogue with Trump's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

For his part, Denis Sinek, Chargé d'Affairs at the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington, explained to Newsmax on Friday that Kiev is grateful to Trump and his team for their efforts to end the war, and that it is ready to enter into talks with Russia.

Trump told reporters on Friday that he would continue to deal with both Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin. "I want this war to end," he added.

Daniel Fried, the US State Department's senior official for European affairs between 2005 and 2009, said that it is not clear whether Washington is moving towards a permanent change in its position towards Ukraine, but the repercussions harm the chances of ending the war that began in 2022.

Fried, who currently works at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington, added: “It is not just a missed opportunity, but it is causing real suffering in Ukraine and emboldening Putin to continue the war, so it is not without cost.”

The relationship between Trump and Zelensky has long been tense. Trump and Vice President Jay Dee Vance publicly criticized Zelensky during a meeting in the Oval Office in February 2025.

Washington stopped or slowed the provision of military aid to Ukraine during the Trump era, while allowing European allies to purchase American weapons for Kiev.

The relationship stabilized until Ukrainian strikes this year on energy sites in Russia began contributing to rising fuel prices.

Analysts said that the rise in gasoline and diesel prices represents a political headache for Trump before the midterm elections scheduled for November, in which the Republican Party may lose its majority in the US Congress.

Experts say that the jump in energy costs is mainly due to the US-Israeli war with Iran, which largely caused the closure of the vital Strait of Hormuz.

But a person familiar with the internal discussions, who requested anonymity, confirmed to Reuters that Trump, frustrated with Zelensky, turned to Russia to increase fuel supplies and contain prices.

Trump said on October 9 that he had reached an agreement with Putin to temporarily lift sanctions on Russian fuel and the import of Russian diesel.

In an executive order published by the White House on Friday, Trump also suspended major US sanctions and tariffs linked to Russia, shortly before they were scheduled to take effect under the Graham Act, which Trump signed last month.

Although the law stipulates the imposition of new sanctions on Russia starting next week, it allows the president to suspend them if he believes that this is in the national interest of the United States.

For his part, Zelensky considered that Trump's latest step undermines the main goal of the Graham Act and will fuel "Russia's desire to continue killing people."

Zelensky expected that the agreement concluded by the United States with Russia regarding diesel, as well as the decision to suspend sanctions, would represent the latest steps towards continuing to ease the sanctions imposed on Moscow.

He said that the chances of the United States continuing to pressure Russia to end the war had declined since the death of Senator Lindsey Graham in July. Graham, a Republican from South Carolina close to Trump, has been a strong supporter of Ukraine. “It is difficult without him, to be frank,” the Ukrainian president wrote.

For Kiev, the risks are high and immediate. Zelensky said on Tuesday that Ukraine had not received any warning from Western partners before a deadly Russian attack on the capital.

Without US intelligence, Ukraine may have greater difficulty monitoring and responding to Russian missile and drone attacks, especially those targeting energy infrastructure, which Moscow has been attacking over the past winters.

Trump confirmed that the United States is still providing intelligence to Ukraine. But Zelensky told NPR that US officials had informed Ukrainian military commanders that the exchange of intelligence information might be reduced or stopped.

Reuters reported on Thursday that the Ukrainian StarShield system, the military version of SpaceX's Starlink service, crashed after what two American officials and a knowledgeable Western official said was the result of an order issued by the White House.

Service was partially restored, but the incident highlighted the vulnerabilities resulting from Ukraine's reliance on technology controlled by American companies and subject to the decisions of the Trump administration. This reliance gives Trump a potential pressure tool while pushing Kiev toward negotiations with Moscow.

Trump may face resistance if Republicans in Congress see his approach as weakening Ukraine while benefiting Russia. Ukraine still enjoys support among some Republicans, some of whom believe that Washington should not pressure Kiev to accept a settlement on terms that are in Moscow's interest.

Brett Bruin, a former foreign policy advisor in the administration of former President Barack Obama and head of the Global Situation Room consulting firm, said that Zelensky's strong responses to Trump entail risks, but he may be counting on a shift in the balance of power in Congress after the midterm elections, which will make it difficult for Trump to ease sanctions on Russia or reduce military aid to Kiev further.

He added: "Zelensky knows very well who he is dealing with. Trump's threats do not have the same effect as they did when Guy DeVance tried to embarrass him in the Oval Office."