Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv will restart strikes on Russian oil refineries, ending a three-day pause he described as a gesture to Washington that Moscow did not reciprocate.
"The ban on strikes on oil refineries is lifted. We've had enough," Zelensky said in an interview with the Financial Times conducted in London and published on Thursday.
According to the Ukrainian president, Ukraine refrained from attacking energy facilities in Russia for three days in line with a US request, while Moscow continued striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Zelensky claims that more than 100 civilians were killed over the past week as a result of Russian attacks.
Despite the pause, Ukraine was left without US warnings about ballistic missiles approaching its targets, the president said. He also said the operation of Starlink terminals was restricted, complicating operations along the front line and strikes on Russian military facilities.
Zelensky rejected the explanation that this was a technical problem. "It was not a technical problem, it was a decision," he said. According to him, the Americans directly warned Ukrainian military officials that the sharing of intelligence would be halted if strikes on Russian refineries continued. Later, he added, it was presented to Kyiv as a "technical glitch."
Asked whether Ukraine could stop strikes on refineries even if Russia continued its attacks, in order to improve relations with Washington, Zelensky replied that he could do so in exchange for additional deliveries of missiles for Patriot systems. That, he said, was the "minimum" he had asked for.
On October 11, US President Donald Trump said Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a ceasefire in the energy sector. Zelensky soon announced that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had received all relevant orders. After that, Ukraine did not strike Russian refineries. The Russian Defense Ministry, meanwhile, reported that Russian troops were striking communication and energy infrastructure in Kyiv.
According to Axios, Trump expects Zelensky to observe the energy ceasefire and stop strikes on Russian refineries. A White House source told the outlet that Trump is "very angry" and that he believes Zelensky takes US assistance for granted.
Zelensky also said that abandoning strikes on Russia's energy sector could push the United States and Russia toward new deals that would provide additional funding for the Russian military machine. He suggested this could involve gas.
The Ukrainian president criticized Trump's push to strike business deals with Moscow. In his view, Trump has an affinity for autocrats, since the ability to hold power for decades is perceived as a sign of strength. Zelensky stressed that Ukraine's relations with the United States and London are vital for the fight against Russia.
Trump earlier accused Zelensky of ignoring the White House's requests and continuing strikes on oil refineries in Russia. He also called for new presidential elections in Ukraine.
Sources differ: the Trump administration, according to Axios, says it has nothing to do with restrictions on Starlink operations in Ukraine. SpaceX founder Elon Musk claims that any restrictions on the terminals are determined by the US military and the US president. A senior Ukrainian official, speaking anonymously to DW, said Kyiv has received no explanations from either the US authorities or SpaceX.