US President Donald Trump has said that Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not want his country's four-year war with Russia to end, confirming that he is withholding additional punitive measures against Moscow to avoid jeopardising ongoing peace negotiations.
"My decision on Russia is a very simple one," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, asserting that he is actively negotiating a settlement between Moscow and Kiev and making "great progress", including talks over hostages.
Trump stated he refused to take actions that would "drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table", adding that he could sign additional measures at a later date.
Trump directed sharp criticism at Zelenskyy, alleging that European financial support has discouraged the Ukrainian president from pursuing peace.
"Zelenskyy doesn't care, and frankly, with all of the money that Europe is famously giving him... he doesn't want to end this war, and probably never did," Trump wrote, adding: "I WANT THIS WAR END!"
Energy disputes
Trump also pointed to Moscow's limited backing for Tehran as justification for avoiding escalation, stating: "Russia is doing very little, if anything, to help the Islamic Republic of Iran, compared to what they could be doing, and I want to keep it that way."
Trump condemned Ukrainian drone strikes against Russian refineries, arguing the attacks are "seriously hurting the world diesel markets" and raising fuel expenses for American farmers and hauliers whilst Russia continues to export discounted diesel.
Zelenskyy has maintained that easing pressure on Moscow incentivises continued aggression, defending strikes on Russian refineries as necessary retaliation against attacks on Ukraine's power grid.
