Zelenskyy criticizes US policy shifts and sanctions relief

“No one is winning that war,” said during a visit to Uzbekistan, adding that the United States wants to see the conflict end and will do everything possible to reach a settlement.

Zelenskyy Responds to Washington’s Push and Sanctions Relief

Volodymyr Zelenskyy reacted sharply to Washington’s recent policy shifts on October 18 and 19, telling outlets including NBC and Bloomberg that he believes steps have been taken to pressure Ukraine into surrendering. In a social media post on X, cited by Xinhua, Zelenskyy maintained that the war continues because of Russian strikes and Moscow’s desire to prolong the conflict.

“Ukraine never wanted this war, and we sincerely welcome every attempt by our partners to end this war in a decent manner,” Zelenskyy wrote, adding that Kyiv responds positively to every ceasefire proposal. However, he criticized Trump’s decision last week to suspend new economic sanctions against Russia. According to reporting from Xinhua, Zelenskyy argued that while anti-aircraft missile supplies to Ukraine face delays, Russia has received relief and extensions on sanctions, signaling that partners are avoiding reality.

The diplomatic friction intensified further over military intelligence and communication infrastructure. While Zelenskyy confirmed to NBC—as noted by Xinhua and 观察者网—that the U.S. briefly interrupted and then restored the sharing of Russian missile attack warning data, he also accused the White House of instructing SpaceX to limit the speed of Starlink internet terminals inside Ukraine. U.S. Treasury Scott Bessent strongly rejected the allegation during an NBC interview, warning Zelenskyy to be careful when making such statements.

Kremlin Perspective on U.S. Mediation Efforts

Moscow responded favorably to Washington’s diplomatic overtures while maintaining that Kyiv remains the primary obstacle to a final settlement. Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told a daily briefing on Monday that Russia values U.S. mediation efforts.

Trump Exempts Russian Exports to Curb Iran Support

The diplomatic maneuvering coincides with domestic political pressures in the United States, where energy costs remain a key issue ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. Trump defended his decision to exempt core sanctions and tariff clauses on Russian exports, explaining on Truth Social that he wanted to prevent Russia from walking away from the negotiating table and to curb Moscow’s support for Iran.

Trump asserted that Zelenskyy “doesn’t want to end this war, and I’m afraid never did,” claiming that the Ukrainian leader rejected better deals earlier in the conflict. Treasury Secretary Bessent defended the administration’s strategy on NBC, pointing out that European nations continue to import massive amounts of energy and fertilizers from Russia.

Meanwhile, the proposed energy truce has effectively stalled. Following a wave of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian industrial sites—including a major oil terminal in St. Petersburg—and continued Russian missile attacks that left hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian households without power, both sides have accused each other of violating the cessation of energy facility strikes.

More on this story: Trump waives Russia sanctions as Zelenskyy and lawmakers criticize move · Trump Says It Is Time For Ukraine To Get New President After Zelensky Criticizes Russia Diesel Deal

More on Zelenskyy: Zelenskyy says partners gave Ukraine no warning of Russian strikes · Zelenskyy Tells EU Leaders Ukraine Needs 70 Billion Euros for 2027 · Hungarian PM Doubts Zelenskyy Visit for October Events