According to Bloomberg, on October 18, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said that U.S. President Trump is forcing Ukraine to surrender to Russia.
He also proposed a new plan: Ukraine agrees to Trump’s request to cease attacks on Russian refineries in exchange for more ‘Patriot’ missiles from the US.
My latest proposal is that we don't target Russian diesel fuel, and instead, we give them "patriotic" missiles to protect our facilities. However, they only want us to cease attacking the diesel fuel. If we continue to attack, they will cut off any support for us."
On the 18th, Zelenskyy was interviewed by Bloomberg. Bloomberg
As relations between the United States and Ukraine reach a new low, Zelenskyy listed a series of unfriendly actions taken by Washington towards Kiev. In an interview with Bloomberg on the 18th, he said this included deliberately slowing down the speed of Starlink satellite communication terminals, as well as delaying the delivery of Patriot missiles.
"I believe that some measures have been taken to persuade Ukraine to surrender. I don't mean to say that this is the goal our partners are pursuing. I don't want to assume that our American partners believe that ending the conflict faster can be achieved at the cost of sacrificing Ukraine. But it seems to be the case," said Zelensky.
He also said that after the U.S. midterm elections, relations between the United States and Ukraine might improve.
According to reports, the United States has demanded Ukraine to stop attacking Russian oil refineries. The Trump administration stated that such attacks have driven up energy prices, especially diesel prices. Ukraine has indicated that if Russia stops attacking its energy infrastructure, Ukraine is ready to halt attacks on Russian refineries.
However, both parties continue to attack energy facilities.
Previously, Ukraine complained about the slow speed of Starlink services. It is reported that Starlink is crucial for the Ukrainian army and represents one of Ukraine’s key battlefield advantages in the Russo-Ukrainian conflict.
When asked who ordered this action, Zelenskyy pointed at “the authorities and the White House”, citing unnamed sources. He said that within Ukraine, the speed limit for Starlink terminals is 161 kilometers per hour, and once a limit is exceeded, the connection is completely lost. Outside of Ukraine, there are no such restrictions. The flying speed of Russian drones is approximately 400 kilometers per hour.
Zelensky also said that the United States is delaying the delivery of Patriot interceptor missiles. The Patriot system is used to intercept Russian ballistic missiles.
He said that the United States currently supplies only 12 ‘Patriot’ interceptor missiles to Ukraine per month, which is about one-fourth of the amount during the Biden administration. During Trump’s presidency, the United States sold these missiles to Ukraine, while Biden provided them as military aid for free.
"I think the US President and Putin have a good relationship," Zelensky said, "But there's one point that doesn't work here. Currently, Trump cannot force Putin to end this conflict."
At the same time, Zelenskyy remains in close contact with U.S. President's envoy Witckow and Trump's son-in-law Kushner. Zelenskyy said on the 18th that they are discussing another meeting, which could take place later this week.
When asked to describe the efforts to repair relations between the United States and Ukraine, Zelenskyy said, “I believe that when Ukraine faces potential risks on the scale of a tsunami, intervention should occur when the storm is still small. I believe that what matters for success or failure is not just the diesel agreement.”
