Ukraine War: Trump Says Zelensky Is Less Willing to Negotiate Than Putin

In an interview with Newsmax on October 15, Donald Trump criticized Ukraine’s renewed strikes on Russian oil refineries, including a Rosneft facility southeast of Moscow. He said the attacks undermined peace efforts and blamed them for driving up global oil prices. Trump also questioned Volodymyr Zelensky’s willingness to reach a deal, saying the Ukrainian president was less willing to negotiate than Vladimir Putin. On October 9, Putin had said an immediate resumption of talks with Kyiv was unlikely, while expressing willingness to consider them after Russia’s parliamentary elections.