President Donald Trump has sharply criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after Kyiv defied US demands to stop attacking Russian oil facilities.
The dispute has opened a growing rift between the two leaders.
Ukraine said Thursday it would no longer observe the “energy ceasefire” Trump announced, citing Russia’s refusal to stop attacking Ukraine’s power grid, according to NBC News.
Kyiv then struck a Russian oil refinery. Trump called the resumed strikes a “disgrace,” NBC reported.
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Early Saturday, Ukraine launched one of its largest drone attacks of the year on Russia, hitting a key oil terminal despite Trump’s demand it stop, CNN reported.
My decision on Russia is a very simple one. I am in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and don’t want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table. Great progress is being made, and that includes current… pic.twitter.com/pbSHpcOalH
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) October 18, 2026
Russian authorities said the St. Petersburg Oil Terminal was among the targets, and the drone maker Fire Point said the strike caused a fire at the site.
Zelensky responded on X on Sunday.
Russia attacked Ukraine's energy sector 76 times: Zelensky
He said Russia had attacked Ukraine’s energy sector 76 times since Trump announced the ceasefire a week earlier, and that Moscow had offered nothing in return for US sanctions relief.
Trump has pushed Kyiv hard on the issue. Last week he said it was “time for Ukraine to get a new president,” Fox News reported, after he confirmed a deal easing US sanctions on Russian diesel.
Russia has around 6.5-6.7 Mbpd of installed refining capacity and usually refines 5.3-5.5 Mbpd. Currently however, the runs have slipped to around 4.1 Mbpd.https://t.co/FKQm578aI1 https://t.co/sxKsIYdHUo pic.twitter.com/pglXkct9NM
— TankerTrackers.com, Inc. (@TankerTrackers) October 18, 2026
Trump blames Kiev for spike in diesel prices
Trump has blamed Ukraine’s strikes for destabilising global diesel prices, despite the effect of his own war with Iran, NBC said.
Trump has waived sanctions on imports of Russian diesel and on Friday invoked a waiver exempting Russia from sweeping US penalties mandated by Congress, drawing criticism even from Republicans.