US President Donald Trump said on 15/10, "The war should end soon. In fact, both sides want to see it end, but I believe Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is harder to negotiate with than Russian President Vladimir Putin."

Trump also opposed the Ukrainian president's order to resume attacks on Russian oil refineries, despite the "energy ceasefire" he had previously announced.

He said, "I think that is a disgraceful act. They have many other targets. Zelensky is not doing the world any good by attacking diesel refineries, which produce the type of fuel we and the whole world need."

US President Donald Trump at the White House on 15/10. Photo: AFP

He also questioned Zelensky's leadership capabilities and willingness to negotiate an end to the conflict. The US President added, "He is not someone we can easily work with. He does not want to reach an agreement. He keeps saying he wants to solve the problem, but in reality, that is not the case. No, I do not support Zelensky."

When asked about Zelensky's proposal to Russia to pause fighting for two months to hold elections, Trump replied, "I think Ukraine needs to hold elections."

He questioned whether the Ukrainian people are satisfied with their country's leadership. Trump also mentioned an interview with a Ukrainian woman, who blamed Zelensky for "the pain and military losses the country has suffered," and quoted her as saying the Ukrainian president "is destroying the country."

The White House chief did not cite the source of this interview but added that Russia has a larger population, giving it a greater manpower advantage over Ukraine. Russia can continue to sustain significant military losses, while Ukraine does not have comparable resources to prolong the war.

Following Trump's surprise announcement on 11/10 that Russia and Ukraine agreed to stop attacking each other's energy facilities, Kyiv suspended attacks on Russian oil refineries, which Trump had claimed were causing global diesel prices to rise.

But in the following days, Russia launched a series of missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks on targets in Ukraine, including power plants, leaving hundreds of thousands without electricity.

President Zelensky announced on 15/10 that his country would no longer adhere to the "energy ceasefire" announced by Trump because Russia had not reciprocated. He ordered the military to resume attacks on Russian oil refineries.

The Ukrainian military then launched long-range UAVs to attack an oil refinery in Ryazan province, southeast of Moscow. This facility, owned by the state-owned oil and gas corporation Rosneft, accounts for nearly 5% of Russia's total refining capacity and helps supply fuel to the capital. Ryazan province Governor Pavel Malkov said Ukraine's large-scale UAV attack caused a fire at the plant.

Fire at an oil refinery in Ryazan province, Russia, after Ukraine's attack on 15/10. Video: RT

President Putin stated that the long-range attacks on Russian oil refineries "did not cause any significant damage."

In an interview published by the Financial Times on 15/10, Zelensky criticized what he perceived as Trump's "readiness to reach an agreement" with Russia and the US President's "admiration" for Putin.

When asked if Ukraine was willing to stop attacking Russia's energy infrastructure to improve relations with the White House, Zelensky stated he would only reconsider if the US provided more interceptor missiles for the Patriot air defense system, emphasizing "this is a minimum condition."

Amid deteriorating relations with Trump, Zelensky met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels and held a series of bilateral meetings with European leaders before his scheduled participation in the European Union summit on 16/10.

Huyen Le (According to AFP, Reuters, Anadolu Agency)