President Volodymyr Zelensky described US President Donald Trump’s Russian diesel deal as a victory for Vladimir Putin, warning that Moscow was exploiting Washington’s decisions to pressure Ukraine into concessions.
In a wide-ranging interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan on Wednesday, Oct. 14, Zelensky criticized Starlink restrictions that he said had cost Ukrainian lives.
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Morgan ended the interview with a direct appeal to Trump, comparing Putin to Adolf Hitler and warning against appeasement.
The interview took place during Zelensky’s visit to Britain for meetings with Prime Minister Andy Burnham and King Charles III, amid renewed Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure and growing tensions between Kyiv and Washington.
‘Putin is laughing’ – Trump’s diesel deal hands Moscow a victory
Morgan questioned Trump’s decision to ease restrictions on Russian diesel amid rising energy prices linked to the war involving Iran, arguing that the deal would have little impact on US fuel prices.
Zelensky agreed, describing the arrangement as a tactical victory for Putin.
“Now Putin is laughing,” he said, suggesting that the Kremlin was gaining concessions from Washington even as Russia struggled on the battlefield.
Zelensky said the diesel agreement and restrictions affecting Starlink had handed Putin victories without requiring Russian forces to achieve military breakthroughs.
Morgan suggested Trump might be seeking to deflect public anger over rising gasoline prices ahead of the US midterm elections.
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Zelensky acknowledged that domestic political pressures could be influencing Washington, but said Russia was also trying to exploit the situation to force Ukraine into concessions.
“Elections have the possibility to push us to capitulation,” he said.
He warned that Moscow was looking for ways to force Ukrainian troops out of Donbas without defeating them militarily.
Zelensky also suggested that Russia was offering Washington potential business ventures and economic projects to influence its decisions.
He insisted that the real cause of rising fuel prices was the conflict in the Middle East and disruption around the Strait of Hormuz, not Ukraine’s strikes against Russian energy infrastructure.
‘We’re losing America – but not because of us’
Asked how he reacted to Trump’s diesel agreement, Zelensky expressed deep disappointment.
“It’s a pity that we are losing. We are losing a strong partner,” he said.
“You think you’re losing America?” Morgan asked.
“Yeah. But not because of us,” Zelensky replied.
The Ukrainian president stressed that Kyiv could not sacrifice its sovereignty to maintain Washington’s support.
“We can’t be weak. Otherwise we can’t survive.”
“We are not selling our country. Look, guys. It’s not about business for us. It’s just our life, and this is our country.”
He described Ukraine as the home of its people and children, rather than something that could be traded in negotiations.
“That’s why it’s painful when President Trump chooses one side, not our side,” Zelensky said.
He argued that Trump could remain a neutral mediator, but should not move toward Moscow.
“We are okay that he’s in the middle. But if you’re in the middle, you have to stay in the middle, not on the wrong side.”
Zelensky questioned the advice Trump was receiving.
“I think his advisors are wrong. I don’t know who is pushing him not to the right side.”
“This is not the right side of history.”
Zelensky agrees Putin is the ‘Hitler of our time’
Morgan also quoted Trump supporter Laura Loomer, who questioned why Moscow was not being held accountable for violating the energy ceasefire.
Loomer had described Putin as the “Hitler of our time.”
Asked whether he agreed, Zelensky replied: “Absolutely.”
But he challenged the perception that Putin was overwhelmingly powerful.
“He’s not so strong as evil, I think so. But people are afraid of him,” Zelensky said.
He argued that the United States was stronger than Russia and had the power to stop Moscow’s aggression.
“The United States is stronger ... and they have to be on our side.”
Zelensky said Putin’s strength depended on how far other countries allowed him to go.
“He’s strong till the world will stop him.”
‘Russia wants Trump to be weak’
Asked what message he would send directly to the US president, Zelensky began by thanking Trump and the American people for their support.
But he warned that Russia was deliberately undermining Trump’s authority.
“He has to understand that Russia wants him to be weak,” Zelensky said.
He characterized Moscow’s continued bombardment of Ukrainian energy infrastructure after Trump’s ceasefire announcement as an act directed against the American president himself.
Morgan suggested Russia was openly mocking Trump.
“They’re mocking him, aren’t they?”
“Absolutely,” Zelensky replied.
Morgan argued that Russia was demonstrating its disregard for Trump’s demands by continuing to launch missiles and drones against Ukraine.
Zelensky said the Kremlin cared far more about destroying Ukraine than about American political considerations.
“They hate Americans. It’s absolutely clear,” he said.
Zelensky said Ukraine supported Trump’s proposed energy ceasefire even though Kyiv had not been informed before the US president announced it.
“We need our people to live, to go through this winter and to stop the war,” he explained.
According to Zelensky, Ukraine refrained from striking Russian energy infrastructure for three days and did not immediately retaliate when Moscow resumed attacks.
“We didn’t attack during three days any kind of energy objects,” he said.
“We didn’t respond.”
He recalled warning American officials that Russia would take advantage of the arrangement.
“They will attack energy. They will do it.”
Russia subsequently launched another massive barrage, including approximately 40 ballistic missiles aimed at Ukrainian energy infrastructure, Zelensky said.
Morgan noted that Ukrainian defenses intercepted only four of the ballistic missiles, leaving dozens to penetrate the country’s defenses.
Zelensky argued that Moscow was exploiting the ceasefire rather than honoring it.
Starlink restrictions – ‘We are professionals, we know what’s going on’
Zelensky also criticized restrictions affecting Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite communications system during Russian attacks.
He said Ukrainian forces lost connectivity around 1 a.m., affecting interceptor drones used to destroy incoming Russian Shaheds.
Morgan asked whether the restrictions had been imposed deliberately.
“I’m sure that they knew what they did. Absolutely. Because it was 1 a.m.,” Zelensky replied.
He said Ukrainian soldiers attempted to contact SpaceX, American generals and other US partners after discovering the disruption.
“We are professionals. We understand what’s going on. If you are losing the speed of Starlink, we understand what’s going on. So they switched off. That’s their decision,” Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian president stressed that Starlink was not used solely for offensive missions.
“It’s not just about attack. As I said, we didn’t attack their energy. It’s also about defending the lives.”
Asked whether he was angry with Musk, Zelensky described the restrictions as a serious mistake.
“I don’t know, him or somebody pushed him to ... I don’t know really,” he said.
But he warned that disruptions to air defenses were already having deadly consequences.
“People are dying because of his decision.”
Zelensky urged the restoration of full connectivity, while acknowledging that a major technical problem remained a possibility.
“I hope that it’s a mistake, maybe huge technical problem, I don’t know,” he said.
He also emphasized that European countries, including Poland, had paid for the Starlink services used by Ukraine.
The operational restrictions have been confirmed by Ukrainian officials, although responsibility for ordering them remains disputed.
US missile warnings also disrupted
Zelensky said Ukraine was facing another serious problem: interruptions in intelligence warnings from the US about incoming Russian ballistic missiles.
“It’s two big problems,” he said, distinguishing between Starlink connectivity and advance missile intelligence.
American officials had attributed the intelligence disruptions to technical difficulties, Zelensky said, but the problems continued during Russian attacks.
Without timely warnings, Ukrainian civilians have less opportunity to reach shelters before ballistic missiles strike.
Trump has denied suspending American intelligence-sharing with Ukraine.
Putin is losing 43,000 troops a month, Zelensky says
Despite Russia’s continued strikes against Ukrainian cities, Zelensky said Putin was suffering enormous military losses.
“Putin, he’s losing at the battlefield.”
He estimated that Russia was suffering approximately 43,000 casualties each month, including killed and seriously wounded soldiers.
Of those, Zelensky said approximately 20,000 to 25,000 were being killed monthly.
Asked how Ukrainian losses compared, he described a casualty ratio of approximately one Ukrainian for every seven to ten Russians.
Zelensky also said Ukraine had approximately five or six wounded soldiers for every soldier killed, while Russia’s casualty ratio was closer to 50–50 between killed and wounded.
“For them it’s nothing, for us it’s important,” he said.
Zelensky maintained that Ukrainian forces had stabilized the front despite continued Russian offensives and argued that Moscow was seeking political victories because it was struggling to achieve decisive battlefield gains.
Trump wants Zelensky replaced – ‘No Trump, no Musk can choose our president’
Morgan played a recording of Trump calling for Ukraine to replace Zelensky with someone willing to negotiate a deal with Russia.
“I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal,” Trump said.
“I think it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president.”
Morgan asked whether Trump was attempting to force Zelensky from office.
Zelensky recalled that Russia had already occupied Crimea and parts of Donbas before he became president in 2019.
He argued that replacing Ukraine’s leader would not resolve Russia’s aggression.
“No Trump, no Musk, no anybody in the world can choose the president or elect in other countries,” he said.
Zelensky stressed that only Ukrainians could choose their president and expressed confidence that whoever succeeded him would continue defending the country.
“I’m sure the new man or woman will defend our country.”
“This is our home.”
‘I will never accept Ukrainian land as Russian land’
Morgan pressed Zelensky on whether a peace agreement could involve Ukraine formally surrendering territory to Russia.
Zelensky suggested that his refusal to recognize Russian sovereignty over occupied Ukrainian territory was one reason powerful figures might want him replaced.
“Some big guys want to change me, because I will never accept Ukrainian land as Russian land,” he said.
He nevertheless acknowledged that avoiding further loss of life was essential.
“I’m a realist, and I understand that people are more important than one kilometer or two kilometers.”
“It’s not about kilometers. I mean, this is about land and homes.”
He distinguished between acknowledging Russian occupation and legally recognizing the territory as Russian.
“Yes, it’s occupied, but this territory is occupied. It’s temporary.”
“These territories are Ukraine.”
Zelensky expressed confidence that Ukraine would eventually recover its occupied regions, potentially through diplomacy rather than further military offensives.
“In any way it will come back, but without weapon,” he said.
‘I’m not resigning’ – elections impossible during Russian attacks
Asked whether he intended to resign, Zelensky rejected the suggestion.
“No, of course. It’s my responsibility.”
He also said Ukraine could not hold a secure presidential election while Russian missiles and drones continued attacking the country.
“From the point of security, you can’t do elections.”
Zelensky stressed that Ukrainian service members on the front lines must be able to participate in any national vote.
“We can’t choose the president without soldiers, because they give and gave their lives.”
“They are first who have to vote, and I think it’s fair.”
Asked whether Ukrainian citizens supported him, Zelensky emphasized national unity.
“We are all Ukrainian people, and we are all on one side.”
“We have only one enemy: it’s Russia.” ‘We will not lose our independent country’ – even without America
Morgan asked whether Ukraine could prevail without US support.
Zelensky distinguished between preserving Ukraine’s independence and forcing Putin into negotiations.
“We will not in any way lose our independent country,” he said.
But he acknowledged that a diplomatic settlement would become much more difficult without Washington.
“We will have huge problems with how to push Putin to diplomatic way of ending this war – to negotiations.”
He praised European leaders, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and French President Emmanuel Macron, for their continued support.
Zelensky said Ukraine needed clear commitments from its partners on weapons, sanctions and funding.
“Putin will not win, will not prevail, 100%,” he declared.
‘Putin’s goal is total occupation of Ukraine’
Toward the end of the interview, Morgan asked whether Zelensky genuinely believed Ukraine could achieve victory.
Zelensky returned to what he described as Putin’s original objective.
“Putin’s goal is total occupation of Ukraine,” he said.
Asked what Ukraine wanted, Zelensky replied:
“To stop this war, make peace, stay where we stay.”
He maintained that occupied Ukrainian territories remained Ukrainian and would eventually return.
“Everything will come back because we are a real country.”
He said that Russian political circumstances would eventually change and could create opportunities for the peaceful return of occupied land.
Morgan’s final warning to Trump: ‘Don’t appease Hitler’
Morgan concluded the interview by addressing Trump directly, telling him that siding with Putin against Ukraine would place Washington on the wrong side of history.
“It’s what we called in World War II appeasement to Hitler. Don’t be that guy,” Morgan warned.
“Give this guy the support he needs to defeat the modern-day Hitler.”
Zelensky thanked Morgan and the British public, praising the United Kingdom for supporting Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
He described Britain as a friend that had stood on the right side of history.