Zelenskyy accuses Trump of pushing Ukraine to capitulate

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Donald Trump of trying to pressure Kyiv into surrendering to Russia, Bloomberg reported on October 18 after interviewing him in Kyiv. In the same interview, he offered to accept Trump's demand that Ukraine stop hitting Russian refineries if the U.S. sends more Patriot air-defense missiles. His remarks escalate a week-long dispute with Washington over Starlink restrictions, intelligence sharing and a U.S.-Russia diesel deal.bloomberg.com

"I believe steps have been taken to force Ukraine to capitulate," Zelenskyy said, according to Nasha Niva. "I'm not saying this is the goal of our partners… But that's how it looks."24tv.ua

A Diesel-for-Patriots Proposal

Zelenskyy described his counteroffer this way: "We don't touch Russian diesel fuel, you give us missiles for Patriot systems to defend our facilities. But they want us to simply stop attacks on diesel fuel," Nasha Niva quoted him as saying. He said the U.S. is now supplying only about 12 Patriot interceptors a month. Ukraine buys them under Trump, while the Biden administration provided them free as military aid. "We paid for the weapons; part of the deliveries was authorized by the U.S., but the rest was not. And this is not a technical problem," he said.24tv.ua+1

The interceptor shortage is urgent. On October 15, a source told CNN that Ukraine had run out of Patriot missiles, and that nearly all ballistic missiles in a recent Russian strike got through.cnn.com

Starlink and the Energy Truce

The dispute started after Trump announced an "energy ceasefire" and a deal with Vladimir Putin allowing Russian diesel sales, which aims to lower fuel prices ahead of the November 3 midterms. Zelenskyy ended a three-day pause and ordered refinery strikes to resume on October 15.staradvertiser.com

Starting October 14, Starshield, the military version of Starlink, cut connections for drones moving faster than 160 km/h. Zelenskyy said this cap left Ukrainian interceptor drones unable to stop Russian jet-powered drones. On October 17, he called the limits a "planned operation," noting that tests in EU countries showed no such restriction. Elon Musk has said speed limits are set by the U.S. military and "ultimately POTUS." A U.S. official told the BBC that Trump never made such a request. Separately, Trump paused a new Russia sanctions package for up to 60 days.upi.com+4

Signs of Partial Thaw

Some ties appear to be coming back. Zelenskyy told NBC on October 18 that U.S. intelligence sharing was working again and said he hoped talks could happen this week. His office said he spoke with Trump's envoys the same day.ca.finance.yahoo.com+1

Zelenskyy still doubts Washington's influence over Moscow. "I think the U.S. president really does have a good relationship with Putin. But one thing isn't working here. Right now, Trump can't force Putin to stop the war," he said.24tv.ua