--- title: "Trump and Zelensky clash over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil " url: https://moldova1.md/p/88621/trump-and-zelensky-clash-over-ukrainian-strikes-on-russian-oil published: 2026-10-26T12:08:37Z language: en author: "Bogdan Nigai" section: "International" source: moldova1.md --- # Trump and Zelensky clash over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil > U.S. President Donald Trump is pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to halt strikes on Russian oil infrastructure, sparking fears that Washington could scale back military and intelligence aid to Kyiv, Reuters reported. ![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/c78548a5-551b-424d-8b92-a66591909470.jpg) U.S. President Donald Trump is pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to halt strikes on Russian oil infrastructure, sparking fears that Washington could scale back military and intelligence aid to Kyiv, Reuters reported. The friction has intensified amid surging global fuel prices following the outbreak of war involving the United States, Israel, and Iran in February. The Trump administration views Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil facilities as an added strain on energy markets while American voters face rising costs ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. **Dispute over Russian diesel and intelligence sharing** On September 13, Trump publicly urged Ukraine to stop targeting Russian diesel production infrastructure. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio later said Washington was also concerned about strikes affecting oil shipments with American ties. Kyiv has refused to halt the operations. Ukrainian officials said drone strikes against Russian energy infrastructure remain one of their few ways to counter Moscow's nearly five-year bombardment. Against this backdrop, Trump announced a deal on October 9 to purchase Russian diesel and temporarily authorized its sale on international markets. The U.S. administration also suspended the enforcement of several sanctions against Moscow. The dispute took on a military dimension after Zelensky said U.S. officials warned Ukrainian military representatives that Washington could cut off intelligence sharing if attacks on Russian energy sites continue. However, a U.S. official speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity disputed that account and said Washington had not increased pressure on Kyiv. Concerns grew further after disruptions to the Starlink satellite internet service, which Ukrainian forces use for drone operations. The outages temporarily hampered Kyiv's military capabilities and heightened fears over Ukraine's vulnerability to Russian winter strikes. On Thursday, October 22, Trump said he had asked billionaire SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to restore Ukraine's access to Starlink. **An energy truce that failed to stop attacks** On October 11, the U.S. president unilaterally announced an energy truce between Russia and Ukraine. Despite the declaration, Russian strikes on Ukraine's power grid continued. Suriya Jayanti, a former U.S. official and energy expert, said Washington's initiative risks putting Ukraine at a disadvantage while Russia continues hitting its power system. She noted that officials in Kyiv perceive the initiative as an effort to limit Ukraine's military response and grant Russia an advantage rather than stop energy attacks. **Diplomatic push from Oslo to Abu Dhabi** Despite deteriorating relations between Washington and Kyiv, diplomatic efforts to end the war continue. During talks in Oslo on October 20, Ukraine presented new proposals for a potential peace agreement, while Trump's son-in-law and envoy Jared Kushner reiterated the president's demand that Kyiv halt refinery strikes. A day later, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg. Following the meeting, the Russian leader agreed to release U.S. citizen Stephen Hubbard in a move both sides described as a gesture of goodwill. Zelensky announced on Friday that representatives from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States will meet in Abu Dhabi in the first half of November to prepare a potential summit between the three presidents. So far, negotiations have yielded no concrete results, as policy rifts between Washington and Kyiv complicate prospects for a deal. **A history of strained ties** Friction between the two leaders dates back to Trump's first term, when he expressed reservations about U.S. military involvement in Ukraine and argued that European nations should bear primary responsibility for its security. In 2019, a phone call in which Trump asked Zelensky to investigate political rival Joe Biden's family triggered a major scandal in Washington and led to the U.S. president's first impeachment. 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