Trump Calls Ukraine’s Renewed Strikes on Russian Oil Refineries a ‘Disgrace’

U.S. President Donald Trump has condemned Ukraine’s renewed attacks on Russian oil refineries, describing them as a “disgrace” and warning that the strikes could push global oil prices higher.

In an interview with Newsmax aired on Thursday, Trump criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for resuming attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, arguing that targeting refineries producing diesel fuel could have broader consequences for global energy markets.

Ukraine recently struck a refinery operated by Russian oil giant Rosneft southeast of Moscow, following Zelenskiy’s announcement that Kyiv would abandon a ceasefire covering energy facilities that Trump had proposed.

The decision came after continued Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, including power stations, disrupted electricity supplies to hundreds of thousands of people. Zelenskiy told the *Financial Times* that Ukraine’s patience had run out.

Trump, whose administration has been seeking to broker a ceasefire to end Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, said the conflict remained difficult to resolve because of the hostility between Zelenskiy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I’m not a big fan of Zelenskiy,” Trump said, adding that he found the Ukrainian leader more difficult to deal with than Putin.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is facing additional pressure following restrictions on its use of a satellite communications system relied upon for battlefield coordination and drone operations. Reuters reported that the order to limit access to the Starshield system came from within the White House, citing two U.S. officials and a Western official familiar with the matter.

The developments highlight growing tensions over Washington’s efforts to restrain Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure while seeking a negotiated settlement to the war.

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