Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticised US President Donald Trump over a deal allowing Russian diesel exports, saying Washington had chosen the “wrong side” and warning that Kyiv was losing a strong partner as Moscow continued attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure despite a proposed ceasefire.
In an interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said Trump should remain neutral in the conflict rather than appear to side with Russia.
“It's painful when President Trump chooses one side, not our side,” Zelenskyy said on the show Piers Morgan Uncensored, according to the New York Post. “But we are okay with him being in the middle. But if you're in the middle, you have to stay in the middle. Not on the wrong side.”
Zelenskyy questioned the advice Trump was receiving, saying, “I think his advisers are wrong. I don't know who is pushing him. Not to the right side; this is not the right side of history.”
“It is a pity that we are losing a strong partner,” he added, describing the diesel arrangement as a setback for Ukraine’s relationship with Washington.
Trump announced on October 11 an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin allowing Russia to supply more than 300,000 metric tonnes of diesel immediately for global markets. Trump has said the arrangement was intended to ease high energy prices and that the fuel was not meant for the United States.
The criticism comes amid growing uncertainty over an energy ceasefire announced by Trump on October 11. The US president said Russia and Ukraine had agreed to halt attacks on energy infrastructure, but did not provide details on the arrangement’s scope or implementation.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine had supported the proposed pause as a step towards de-escalation, despite reservations about its limitations.
“Our country has to survive, and we count on our real partners, strategic partners, the United States and President Trump,” he said, adding that an energy ceasefire could help protect civilians and infrastructure through the winter.
However, Zelenskyy accused Russia of violating the arrangement, saying Ukrainian forces had refrained from attacking energy facilities for three days while Russian forces continued strikes.
He earlier said Russian forces had launched ballistic missiles and attack drones at energy and critical infrastructure in Kyiv, the surrounding region and Kharkiv, leaving at least 600,000 people without electricity.
Trump had declared the ceasefire in a post on Truth Social, saying: “Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!”
The alleged violations have raised questions about the prospects for the truce, with Kyiv urging stronger international pressure on Moscow and further military assistance to protect Ukrainian infrastructure.
In the same interview, Zelenskyy also warned that disruptions linked to restrictions on SpaceX’s Starlink service could affect Ukrainian military operations, saying that “people will die” while the problems persisted.
Piers Morgan, sharing a post on X about the interview, urged Trump to support Ukraine, writing: “Trump, do the right thing... give this guy the support he needs to defeat the modern-day Hitler.”
(With agency inputs from ANI and Reuters)
