Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Sunday as US President Donald Trump accused him of not wanting to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The talks came as Trump claimed he was making “great progress” toward a peace deal, while Kyiv and Moscow traded strikes on energy infrastructure, leaving tens of thousands without power in Ukraine and setting an oil refinery ablaze in Russia’s Saint Petersburg.
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Following the call, Zelensky said much depended on Washington’s position and stressed that the war must end.
Ukraine was ready to work “constructively” and “honestly,” he said in a statement on his official Telegram channel, adding that Kyiv expected the same approach from its European and American partners.
Zelensky also discussed deliveries of US-made Patriot air defense systems as Ukraine struggles to intercept Russian missile attacks.
Trump, however, accused Zelensky of obstructing peace efforts in a Sunday post on Truth Social.
“Zelensky doesn’t care, and frankly, with all of the money that Europe is famously giving him... he doesn’t want to end this war, and probably never did,” Trump wrote.
He also criticized Ukraine’s strikes on Russian oil refineries, claiming they were hurting global diesel markets, including in the United States.
The exchange comes amid growing concern in Kyiv and Europe over Washington’s approach to Moscow.
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The question is: Can Ukraine prevail, and how can its allies help it make it through the winter?
Trump has blocked new sanctions against Russia and struck a diesel deal with Moscow, while the Wall Street Journal reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed discussing Ukraine with Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping – but without Zelensky.
Earlier Sunday, Zelensky told NBC News that it would be a “historic mistake” for Washington to formally side with Russia. He said he hoped Trump would “change his decisions.”
Zelensky also thanked Washington for resuming intelligence sharing after a suspension that had left Ukraine more vulnerable to Russian attacks.
Meanwhile, Zelensky accused Russia of violating Trump’s proposed energy ceasefire 76 times, warning that Moscow was seeking to deprive Ukrainians of electricity and heating ahead of winter.
Ukraine also launched a major drone attack on Saint Petersburg late Sunday, striking an oil refinery and other targets, according to Russian officials. One person was killed, Moscow said.
Alexander Drozdenko, governor of Russia’s Leningrad region, said air defenses had shot down 144 Ukrainian drones. Russian state media described the raid as the largest attack on Saint Petersburg since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
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