Trump says Zelensky is driving up oil prices and calls refinery strikes 'shameful'

President Donald Trump condemned renewed Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure as "shameful" and accused Volodymyr Zelensky of driving up global oil prices in remarks to Newsmax on October 16, 2026.

Speaking on the network, Trump said he believed negotiating with the Ukrainian president was more difficult than negotiating with Vladimir Putin. "I think it's harder to negotiate with Zelensky than with Putin. Everything he does is to raise world oil prices ... When you attack diesel refineries ... you're not doing the world any favor," he said.

Background and recent statements

Trump's comments followed a public statement by Zelensky to the Financial Times on October 15, 2026, in which the Ukrainian leader said that a ban on strikes against Russian refineries had been lifted.

Five days earlier, on October 11, 2026, Trump had said Moscow and Kyiv had reached an agreement to halt attacks on energy infrastructure; however, neither Russia nor Ukraine confirmed such a truce.

Trump also questioned Zelensky's willingness to conclude deals. "Zelensky is not the right person with whom we could reach an agreement. He says he wants a deal, but actually he doesn't. I'm not particularly fond of him," he added.

The remarks are the latest in a series of public critiques by the U.S. president of Kyiv's military choices and of Zelensky's negotiating posture amid an intensifying conflict over energy targets.

Photo: press material from the event