British billionaire and Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson has condemned US President Donald Trump’s foreign policy approach toward Russia, warning that Washington’s diplomatic and economic accommodations to Vladimir Putin compromise Western security and undermine allied trust.
Writing on LinkedIn on Sunday, Oct. 18, Branson criticized recent White House decisions to ease energy sanctions on Moscow and restrict technical support to Kyiv, calling on European leaders to step forward and deliver decisive military and financial support to Ukraine.
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“I never thought I’d have to say this in my lifetime, but it’s 2026, and unfortunately, nothing is the way it used to be,” Branson wrote.
“The Trump administration has become an enabler of autocrats and dictators, placing their personal whims ahead of the interests of the American people and the free world.”
The entrepreneur questioned the administration’s posture toward the Russian head of state, asking: “What is it about [Russian President Vladimir] Putin that makes President Trump fawn over him? How can America’s allies ever trust this administration again, when it is now turning against them in a time of war and suffering?”
— Gianl1974 (@Gianl1974) October 17, 2026BREAKING NEWS: Billionaire Sir Richard Branson launches a SCATHING attack on Trump and his disgusting coziness with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
This is EXACTLY the kind of thing that gets under Trump’s skin...
"I never thought I’d have to say this in my lifetime, but it’s… pic.twitter.com/d2drBRfTVX
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Branson highlighted a series of recent policy shifts in Washington that have raised concerns among Ukraine’s allies, pointing specifically to the commercial diesel agreement between the US and Russia alongside restrictions affecting Ukrainian defense capabilities.
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Under the commercial framework announced on Oct. 9, Moscow agreed to deliver refined diesel onto global markets through 2027 to mitigate fuel benchmark inflation, supported by a US Treasury general license. Branson noted that facilitating fuel exports injects direct revenue into the Russian state budget during active military operations.
The Virgin Group founder also cited reports regarding technical and intelligence constraints imposed on Ukrainian forces, including delays in US early-warning missile tracking notifications and the throttling of SpaceX’s military-grade Starshield satellite network.
“The throttling of Starlink/Starshield and the inexplicable failure to provide advance warning of Russian missile launches have already led to the needless deaths of Ukrainian civilians,” Branson stated. “How much worse can it get?”
The criticism follows statements by President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosing that an artificial 161 km/h (100 mph) velocity cap placed on Starlink terminals operating inside Ukraine had impaired domestic interceptors targeting Russian turbojet-powered strike drones.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Trump have denied ordering deliberate operational curbs, with Rubio stating that Starshield remains a dedicated US military capability not currently accessible to Ukraine for deep strikes inside Russia.
Call for European action, Taurus missiles, and seized assets
With transatlantic relations strained by shifting policies in Washington ahead of the Nov. 3 US midterm elections, Branson urged European governments to overcome hesitation and assume greater leadership in European security.
“If one thing is clear, it’s that European leaders must move past the initial shock of Trump’s recent actions and step up,” Branson wrote. “This is as much about European freedom as it is about Ukraine’s sovereignty. Both are worth fighting for.”
The British business leader urged European capitals to explore all available mechanisms to support Ukraine’s defense, including the full mobilization of immobilized Russian state reserves and the transfer of advanced standoff weapon systems.
“Every option should now be on the table – from transferring frozen Russian assets to Ukraine, to delivering advanced weapons systems like the German Taurus,” Branson emphasized. “We cannot allow the free world to be dismantled before our very eyes.”
The appeal arrives as EU leaders instructed the European Commission to draft proposals bridging Ukraine’s projected €70 billion ($79 billion) financial shortfall for 2027, with discussions encompassing plans to leverage proceeds from roughly €210 billion in Russian sovereign assets immobilized in European financial depositories.
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