What Zelensky fears if Washington officially sides with Putin

On October 18, 2026, Volodymyr Zelensky warned on NBC that Ukraine could not hold out if the United States officially sided with Russia, while saying he hoped Donald Trump would remain an ally and reverse his decisions. He criticized Trump’s agreement with Vladimir Putin to sell Russian diesel, saying it would not lower U.S. fuel prices and would strengthen Moscow’s ambitions. Zelensky also condemned restrictions on Starlink and a three-day suspension of U.S. intelligence sharing, which he linked to pressure on Kyiv as peace negotiations remain stalled.