United States President, Donald Trump, has criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after Ukraine launched a major drone attack on Russian territory, striking a key oil terminal in Saint Petersburg despite Washington’s demand for a halt to attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.
The overnight operation on Saturday was among Ukraine’s largest drone attacks this year, further straining relations between Kyiv and Washington as Ukraine faces another winter of Russian assaults.
Tensions between the two countries have intensified in recent days, raising concerns in Ukraine over the possible loss of critical American support.
On Friday, Trump invoked a waiver exempting Russia from sweeping economic penalties mandated by the US Congress.
Zelensky subsequently warned in an interview with NBC News’ Meet the Press that the United States siding with Russia would be a “historic mistake.”
Trump, however, said on Sunday that he wanted to avoid actions that could undermine ongoing efforts to negotiate an end to the war.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, the US president said he believed progress was being made towards a peace agreement but accused Zelensky of obstructing efforts to end the conflict.
“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,” Trump wrote.
He also criticised the Ukrainian leader, claiming that he “doesn’t want to end this war, and probably never did.”
Despite the growing disagreement, Zelensky said he maintained contact with Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, on Sunday as part of continued diplomatic efforts.
“We are doing everything on our part to make this happen, and to ensure that America’s position is strong and helps bring peace closer,” Zelensky posted on X.
Ukraine Strikes Russian Oil Terminal
Ukraine continued its long-range drone operations inside Russia despite Trump’s objections.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said it intercepted 1,015 Ukrainian drones overnight into Sunday across different parts of the country.
One of the reported targets was the Saint Petersburg Oil Terminal, which has the capacity to handle up to 12.5 million tonnes of oil annually.
Ukraine’s drone manufacturer, Fire Point, confirmed that a fire broke out within the terminal’s premises following the strike.
The attacks also targeted a logistics facility operated by Russian distribution company Ozon and a data centre associated with VKontakte, a major Russian social media platform.
Local authorities reported that one person was killed and five others were injured. Residential buildings were also damaged during the attacks.
Residents described frightening scenes as the drones struck the city.
“They shot one down right above us: there was one bright flash, and it shook us up quite strongly,” a 41-year old resident of St. Petersburg told CNN.
Another resident recounted how the family reacted to the attack, saying, “I heard a roar, got everyone out of their beds, took the cat, and we hid in the bathroom.”
Dispute Over Energy Ceasefire Deepens
The latest Ukrainian strikes have further worsened the relationship between Trump and Zelensky, particularly over attacks on Russia’s oil infrastructure.
Last week, Trump described Ukraine’s strikes on Russian oil refineries as a “disgrace.”
The US president also announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to stop attacking each other’s energy infrastructure as his administration sought to ease pressure on oil and diesel prices ahead of crucial American midterm elections.
However, neither Kyiv nor Moscow publicly confirmed the reported agreement.
Ukraine temporarily suspended some attacks on Russian energy facilities but later resumed them. Russia, meanwhile, continued launching attacks against Ukrainian energy infrastructure and cities.
Ukrainian authorities said Russian missile and drone attacks killed 11 people and injured nearly 50 others across the country in the 24 hours leading up to Sunday morning.
The attacks included what officials described as a massive assault on energy facilities in the Odesa region.
Zelensky accused Moscow of repeatedly violating the proposed energy truce.
“Since the American President announced the energy ceasefire a week ago, Russia has deliberately attacked Ukraine’s energy and oil and gas sectors 76 times,” Zelensky wrote on X on Sunday.
Zelensky Questions Washington’s Support
Trump’s decision to ease certain Russia-related sanctions has also drawn criticism from Ukraine and some American lawmakers, including members of his own Republican Party.
The US president waived sanctions on Russian diesel imports and invoked another waiver on Friday exempting Russia from sweeping economic penalties mandated by Congress.
Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Zelensky argued that the decision would strengthen Russia’s military campaign against Ukraine at a time when Moscow was struggling on the battlefield.
He described the move as “more support for Russian aggression.”
The Ukrainian president also raised concerns about restrictions affecting his country’s access to Starlink, the satellite communications system used by Ukrainian forces to guide battlefield drones.
According to Zelensky, the restrictions limited the speed at which Ukrainian drones could operate.
“It was a message from the American government” to limit the speed at which Ukrainian drones could fly, Zelensky said.
The Trump administration has denied ordering restrictions on the service.
Zelensky further disclosed that US intelligence sharing had been suspended for three days during Russian ballistic missile attacks before being restored.
American satellite intelligence has played a significant role in helping Ukraine detect incoming missiles and warn its military and civilians.
A Ukrainian source told CNN that Kyiv received no early warning before a ballistic missile attack on Sunday, marking the third such incident in a week.
Zelensky Hopes to Repair Relations With Trump
Despite the growing diplomatic rift, Zelensky said he still hoped to maintain a constructive relationship with the US president.
Asked about Trump’s previous suggestion that he was more difficult to negotiate with than Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zelensky defended his approach to international partnerships.
“It’s better to have partners who are very open and clear than to have those who are killers, even with a smile on their face,” he said.
Zelensky also expressed hope that Trump would reconsider his approach to Putin and adopt a stronger position towards the Russian leader.
When asked whether he considered Trump an ally of Ukraine, the Ukrainian president responded, “I hope so.”
The exchange highlights the growing uncertainty surrounding US support for Kyiv as diplomatic efforts to end the war continue alongside intensified Russian and Ukrainian attacks.
