12.10.2026 17:47
US President Trump criticizes Ukraine's strikes on oil refineries in Russia, claiming it should get a new president instead of Zelensky. Zelensky, meanwhile, says elections could be held in the event of a full ceasefire and accuses the US of failing to find a way to stop Putin.
US President Donald Trump, after taking office, frequently targets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky while pursuing a different path in Ukraine policy from the administration of his predecessor Joe Biden.
The recent statements by the Ukrainian and US leaders targeting each other have brought the course of relations between the two countries during Trump's term to the agenda.
ONE OF TRUMP'S ELECTION PROMISES WAS TO END THE WAR
Trump, who argued that if he had won the 2020 elections in the US, the Russia-Ukraine War would never have started and that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not have entered the war during his presidency, often blames his predecessor Biden on this issue.
Trump, who accuses Zelensky of being at fault for the start of the war and of constantly asking for more, claims that Putin would not have been able to enter the war if he himself had been president at that time.
Trump, who also sharply criticized the Democrats during the 2023 election campaign because of their intense support for Ukraine, describes the Russia-Ukraine War as “Biden's war.”
Trump, who promised to end the war in 24 hours when he took office but could not succeed, argued in his later statements that his rhetoric of ending the war in 24 hours was “irony.”
Trump notes that under the Democrats' administration, 350 billion dollars in aid was given to Ukraine and frequently criticizes this.
ZELENSKY AND TRUMP ARGUED AT A PRESS CONFERENCE
After taking office, Trump met with Zelensky many times, while the US leader's special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner also met with Russian and Ukrainian officials many times.
The US brought the parties together in Abu Dhabi and Geneva, but no clear decision emerged from the talks there to end the war.
The press conference between Trump and Zelensky on February 28, 2025, revealed the tense relationship between the two leaders. While a possible agreement between the US and Ukraine on rare earth elements was on the agenda, the leaders appeared before the cameras and leveled accusations at each other.
While Zelensky complained that the US administration, including presidents before Trump, did not stop Putin, Vice President JD Vance accused Zelensky of “disrespect.”
While Vance said the US was trying to help Ukraine, Zelensky stated that during a war every country, including the US, could have a problem, but that the US, being far away, did not feel it.
Thereupon, Trump responded to Zelensky by saying, “Don't tell us what we're going to feel. We're trying to solve a problem. Don't tell us what we're going to feel because you're not in a position to dictate that exactly.”
A PERIOD OF BOTH DISPUTE AND AGREEMENT
The two leaders chose to repair their relations some time after the contentious meeting. Trump announced that the phone call in March of the same year “went very well.”
Zelensky also said they believed lasting peace could be achieved in 2025 under Trump's leadership, but this too could not be achieved.
In the following period, Trump announced that they would sign an agreement with Ukraine on rare earth elements, but 11 days later he gave the message that Zelenskyy was trying to back away from the agreement and that this could cause a problem.
While Zelensky advocated “ceasefire first, then agreement,” Trump said the signing of the agreement was delayed.
The US and Ukraine signed in May the “economic partnership” agreement, which also covered the use of rare earth elements, and this step caused relations to regain momentum. The parties described their talks during this process as positive and productive.
During this period, Trump increased his criticism of Putin, arguing that he was “not pleased” with Russia's attacks on Ukraine and Putin's actions, and that the Russian leader had “gone crazy.”
Trump, who intensified his meetings with Zelensky in the following process and said he had begun preparations for a meeting in the summer of 2025 that would bring the Ukrainian and Russian leaders together, has not yet succeeded in this either.
In August, Putin and Trump met in the US state of Alaska. At the summit, ways to resolve the Ukraine crisis and improve Russia-US relations were discussed, but no final agreement emerged from the meeting.
TRUMP INCREASED HIS CRITICISM OF ZELENSKY AT THE END OF 2025
It was stated that in November 2025, the 28-point peace plan proposal between Ukraine and Russia prepared by the Trump administration was presented to Kyiv, while US officials accused the West, regarding its criticism of the plan, of misunderstanding the realities on the ground.
The Ukrainian side gave the message that their country would “not betray its national interests,” while Trump emphasized that this plan was not the “final offer” and reiterated his call to end the war.
While the peace plan was discussed in Geneva, Switzerland, on November 23, 2025, Trump accused the Kyiv administration of not appreciating his efforts.
Trump also stated that Zelensky had not read the “peace plan” and that he was disappointed by this.
US President Trump later raised the issue of not holding elections in Ukraine, saying, “I wonder how much time is left until elections are held in Ukraine?”
IN JULY, TRUMP'S VIEWS ON ZELENSKY WERE “POSITIVE”
The two leaders also met in the US in December 2025, and after the meeting Trump said they had made great progress toward ending the war.
At the beginning of 2026, Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine were “close” to an agreement, and asked Putin to halt attacks on Kyiv for a week.
Russia and Ukraine reported that in May they accepted Trump's initiative for a 3-day temporary ceasefire and a mutual exchange of 1,000 prisoners of war.
In July, it was claimed that Trump's assessment of Zelensky's activities and policies within the framework of the war with Russia had changed positively in recent weeks.
The two leaders discussed the production license for Patriot systems during this period, and although Trump later gave a red light to this, Kyiv continues to hope on this issue.
RELATIONS TENSED AGAIN IN RECENT DAYS
US President Trump, criticizing Ukraine for attacking oil refineries in Russia and for not being pro-agreement, claims that the country needs to “get a new president” instead of Zelensky.
Trump, arguing that Zelensky wants to cause problems for the world and is hitting diesel fuel facilities, called on the Ukrainian leader to stop.
Zelensky, meanwhile, noted that they could hold elections in the event of a “complete ceasefire,” while accusing the US of failing to find a way to stop Putin.
Trump and Putin's agreement on Russia supplying diesel fuel to the American and global market is also causing reactions from both Kyiv and Western allies.
European officials also claimed that the US “threatened” Ukraine with suspending intelligence sharing if it did not stop attacks on Russia's energy facilities.
While Trump announced that a "ceasefire" had been reached between Ukraine and Russia on not attacking energy infrastructure, the Ukrainian leader stated that he was "not aware" of the development but supported the idea and that they were ready for a ceasefire.
Zelensky, in a post, argued that Russia had violated Trump's statement by continuing attacks on energy facilities in his country.
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