Former President Donald Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and denied allegations that the U.S. ordered a slowdown of internet services provided to Ukraine’s military, amid ongoing tensions related to the conflict with Russia.
In a Thursday interview with Newsmax, Trump expressed frustration with Zelensky’s recent decision to resume attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, saying that such strikes only drive up global oil prices. “If you tell me that Zelensky is again shooting at refineries, all he’s doing is making the world oil price higher,” Trump said. He also described Zelensky as “not a good guy for us to deal with” and suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin might be a more cooperative counterpart. “I think they actually both would like to see it end,” Trump said, referring to the nearly five-year conflict in eastern Europe, “but I think I find Zelensky to be more difficult to deal with than Putin.”
The remarks came shortly after Zelensky publicly stated that Ukraine was no longer honoring a self-imposed restriction on targeting Russian energy facilities. Zelensky told the Financial Times during a visit to London that Kyiv is “done” holding off attacks, following a reported surge of more than 100 Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in the preceding week.
Separately, Trump rejected reports that the White House had ordered a restriction or slowdown of Starshield, the military satellite internet system run by SpaceX, which provides crucial connectivity to Ukrainian forces. Speaking to reporters on Friday as he departed the White House, Trump said, “I didn’t do that. No, we didn’t do that at all. In fact, I don’t even think it was slowed down from what I understood.” Reuters had reported earlier that U.S. officials had directed a slowdown of the service, a claim denied by other administration sources. A congressional source confirmed the existence of the directive but did not specify who authorized it.
Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a Republican from Texas and former Navy SEAL, publicly condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin for continuing strikes on Ukrainian civilian and energy infrastructure despite what he described as a cease-fire agreement brokered by Trump. Crenshaw, who recently visited Kyiv, said Putin was “giving the middle finger” to Trump by violating the alleged deal and urged the former president to respond forcefully. He suggested leveraging congressional-approved sanctions and fully enabling Ukraine’s access to satellite communications, specifically the Starlink and Starshield networks controlled by SpaceX.
Crenshaw emphasized the strategic importance of satellite internet for Ukrainian drone operations targeting Russian mobile ballistic missile launchers. He noted that while Ukrainian drones have struck targets inside Russia, navigating to these sites requires reliable satellite support. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has publicly voiced reservations about providing unrestricted Starlink access over Russian territory without official government authorization.
Zelensky’s office affirmed on Friday that Starlink is used strictly for military purposes, including intercepting Russian drones and conducting targeted strikes against enemy military facilities in occupied areas, as well as logistical support such as delivering supplies.
Meanwhile, analysis from the Institute for the Study of War suggests that Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries have not significantly impacted diesel prices in the United States. Prices peaked in September, coinciding with the outbreak of conflict in Iran earlier that year, rather than as a direct effect of the refinery attacks.
As the conflict continues, the dynamics between the U.S. administration, Ukraine, and Russia remain complex, with differing interpretations of agreements and ongoing debate over tactical support strategies in the war.