Trump’s comments about Zelensky, during an interview with US outlet Newsmax on Thursday evening, reflect the deteriorating relationship between the US and Ukraine.
The US president said he was “not a big fan of Zelensky” and that he was “not a good guy for us to deal with”.
“He doesn’t want to settle,” Trump said. “He says he wants to settle, but he doesn’t.”
“As you know, Putin hates Zelensky, and Zelensky hates Putin,” he added. “And when you have that kind of hatred, it’s very hard to get something settled.”
The Kremlin later said it agreed with Trump’s assertion that Zelensky did not want to make a deal with Russia. It is the same accusation that Kyiv has levelled at Moscow.
When asked about Ukraine’s renewed strikes on Russian oil refineries, Trump said of Zelensky: “All he’s doing is making the world oil price higher… There are a lot of targets that you can hit.”
Trump is frustrated at Ukraine’s continued targeting of Russian oil refineries because it affects Moscow’s ability to export its diesel to America, as per the deal the US recently made with Russia, in an effort to bring down fuel prices.
Since the war with Iran started in February, US fuel and especially diesel prices have skyrocketed, souring Trump standing with the American public – something he wants to fix before next month’s mid-term elections.
At a news conference after the EU summit, Zelensky was asked if he felt that Trump was using him as a scapegoat for his own political problems. A 15-second pause, as Zelensky listened to the translation, then saw the president break out into a grin, prompting laughter from the journalists in the room.
“This is my answer,” he said.
The diesel deal infuriated Zelensky, who called it a gift to Putin and on Friday said it would “put more money straight into Putin’s pocket to fund this war”.
His anger was further heightened earlier this week, when restrictions were placed on the US-owned Starlink internet network, which is critical for Kyiv’s military abilities to defend itself.
During the slowdown on Tuesday night, there were several deadly Russian strikes on Ukraine, with residents and the government saying there was no prior warning of the incoming attack.
On Friday, Zelensky called the slowdown a “very dangerous and unpleasant surprise”, adding that Starlink speeds were still not fully restored.
The Trump administration had previously warned that it could withhold intelligence-sharing – crucial for Ukraine’s defences – if Kyiv does not stop hitting Russia’s oil refineries.