US President Donald Trump said negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war were making “great progress”, while defending his administration’s diplomatic approach towards Moscow and accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of failing to secure a better deal two years ago.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said his strategy was to pursue a peace agreement without driving Russia away from the negotiating table. He also referred to ongoing hostage negotiations, claiming he could sign the relevant document “later, or any time that I want”.
“My decision on Russia is a very simple one. I am in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and don’t want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table. Great progress is being made, and that includes current hostage negotiations!” Trump wrote.
Trump also addressed claims that Russia was helping Iran, saying Moscow was doing “very little, if anything” compared with what it could do. He said he wanted that to continue, adding that it would remain the case “unless stupid people get in the way”.
The US president criticised Ukrainian attacks on Russian diesel refineries, arguing that they were hurting global fuel markets, including in the United States. He praised Russia for supplying diesel at what he described as a low price, citing an agreement under which Moscow would provide more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel, followed by another 500,000 tonnes in November and 1 million tonnes immediately afterwards.
Trump also accused Zelenskyy of having little interest in ending the war because of financial assistance from Europe and the United States. He blamed the Ukrainian leader for failing to secure a better agreement two years ago and described Ukraine as being in ruins, with substantial territory lost and its male population depleted by deaths and injuries.
“He could have made a better deal two years ago than he can now,” Trump said, reiterating: “I WANT THIS WAR END!”
Russia and Ukraine trade claims over attacks
Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine reported fresh attacks on military and infrastructure targets as fighting continued.
In its daily report, Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces had struck Ukrainian transport infrastructure, depots containing military supplies and facilities used to assemble, store and launch drones. It also said Russian forces had carried out a precision strike on a large dry-cargo ship and destroyed an uncrewed Ukrainian vessel in the Black Sea.
St Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov said the city had come under a large-scale drone attack, leaving one person dead and five others injured.
Ukrainian defence firm Fire Point reported that Ukrainian forces had used drones to strike an oil terminal, an oil depot and a data centre in St Petersburg. Fires broke out at the oil depot and terminal, while the data centre sustained severe damage. Zelenskyy praised Ukraine’s drone forces and intelligence services for what he described as precise long-range strikes against targets inside Russia. His remarks appeared to indirectly confirm Ukrainian involvement in the reported attacks.
Ukraine’s Air Force said it had shot down or neutralised 152 Russian drones between 6 pm on Saturday and 8 am on Sunday.
Zelenskyy also said Russian forces had attacked electrical substations in several Ukrainian regions, including Vinnytsia and Zhytomyr, on Saturday night. He previously accused Moscow of carrying out 76 attacks on Ukraine’s energy, oil and gas sectors in the week since Trump announced a temporary energy ceasefire. He said strikes had also affected electrical installations in Khmelnytskyi and Odesa.
Zelenskyy says Ukraine has regained territory
Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces had liberated more territory since the start of autumn than Russian troops had captured during the same period. He added that Kyiv’s forces were continuing offensive and defensive operations in several frontline sectors in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.
The Ukrainian president also said he had spoken with US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The discussions covered the outcome of a meeting between Ukrainian and US representatives held in Florida on October 9, as well as the next steps in diplomatic efforts.
According to Zelenskyy, the two sides also discussed the possible provision of Patriot air-defence systems to Ukraine. He said the conflict must end and stressed that Washington’s position was crucial to the process. He added that Kyiv and Washington remained in daily contact.
Kyiv warns against easing sanctions on Moscow
Zelenskyy has also criticised Washington’s decision to ease certain Russia-related sanctions, warning that the move could encourage further Russian aggression rather than help end the war.
An executive order signed by Trump reversed certain Russia-related sanctions and tariffs that had been due to take effect under the newly enacted Graham Act. US administration officials said the temporary relief served national security priorities, while the legislative framework was intended to increase economic pressure on Moscow following the escalation of the war in 2022.
Zelenskyy argued that easing restrictions would reinforce Moscow’s willingness to continue military operations.
“It only fuels their satisfaction and their desire to keep killing people,” he wrote. “This certainly does not stop the war.”
The contrasting statements highlight the competing positions surrounding efforts to end the conflict: Trump says negotiations are advancing and argues that Russia must remain engaged, while Kyiv points to continued Russian attacks and warns that sanctions relief could undermine prospects for peace.
(With agency inputs from ANI and Reuters)
