Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he felt betrayed after US President Donald Trump announced a new deal to buy Russian fuel. In an interview with Piers Morgan Uncensored, British media personality Piers Morgan asked whether he had been “betrayed” by the Trump administration, Zelensky answered, “Yes,” describing the agreement as a “simple victory” for the Kremlin.
“Really, yes, between us. But it’s a little bit more complicated than just my emotions or my feelings,” Zelensky said. “Our country has to survive, and we count on our real partners, strategic partners, the United States band President Trump. They wanted us not to attack. My opinion was, it is not fair.”
The comments came after Trump announced a deal to import diesel from Russia on Oct. 9, which drew bipartisan criticism and angered European allies, while saying that Zelensky should be replaced as Ukraine’s leader. Under the deal, Russia is permitted to supply 300,000 tons of diesel to the United States and the broader global market—a move that strained relations between Kyiv and the White House.
The relationship between Ukraine and the U.S. continues to deteriorate
“This is our country, our body, our home, our children… That’s why it’s painful when Trump chooses one side. If you’re in the middle, you have to stay in the middle. Not on the wrong side. Zelensky added: “This is not the right side of history.”Russia wants (Trump) to be weak. They don’t care about elections in the United States.”
Relations between the White House and Kyiv have strained after Trump blamed Ukrainian strikes, not the Iran war, against Russian refineries for the rising global fuel prices. The administration also threatened to cut off intelligence support and arms shipments unless Kyiv stops the attacks.
Zelensky claimed Kyiv had stopped receiving missile-attack warnings from its allies. He also accused tech billionaire Elon Musk of restricting his Starlink service, a vital communication tool for Ukrainian forces on the front line. According to local officials, this information gap has been further exacerbated by Starlink limiting certain internet services in Ukraine.
According to the Ukrainian leader, Russian forces were trying to capitalize on the Starlink disruption by allegedly unleashing heavy strikes overnight. The Kremlin launched drone and ballistic missile attacks that left more than 600,000 people in Ukraine without power, according to Zelensky. “I am sure they knew what they did, absolutely. Because it was 1 am, Starlink was blocked by SpaceX and the United States,” Zelensky said. Addressing Musk directly, he added: “This decision will bring a lot of human losses. Of course, people will die.”
Musk stated that Starshield systems are owned and operated by the U.S. government, and that the U.S. military and the president determine any restrictions on their speed or usage. Additionally, he said Starlink “cannot be used for offensive military action, as doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial company.”
Zelensky has spent the past week working to strengthen support among European leaders. On Wednesday, he held separate meetings in London with Britain’s Prime Minister Andy Burnham and King Charles.
Published: Oct 15, 2026 09:28 am