Zelenski: Trump is pushing Ukraine to surrender

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski has accused U.S. President Donald Trump of trying to pressure Kyiv into surrendering to Russia. In an interview with Bloomberg, Zelenski said: "I believe steps have been taken to convince Ukraine to capitulate." Zelenski also made a proposal. Trump has asked Ukraine to stop attacking Russian oil refineries to help lower global fuel prices. Zelenski said he would agree — but only if the U.S. supplies more Patriot air-defense missiles to protect Ukrainian facilities. "They only want us to stop attacking the oil. And if we do attack, they will cut something," he said. Zelenski described other hostile measures from Washington. He said the U.S. has deliberately slowed Starlink internet speeds, which are critical for Ukrainian troops fighting Russia. He also said deliveries of Patriot missile interceptors — already scarce — have been delayed. "I believe steps have been taken to convince Ukraine to capitulate," he said. "I am not saying that is the goal of our partners. I don't want to think that our American partners believe the war could end sooner at Ukraine's expense. But that is what it looks like." Trump defended his decision to ease sanctions on Russia after reaching an agreement with Vladimir Putin to supply Russian oil to global markets. Writing on Truth Social, Trump said: "I am negotiating peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and I don't want to do anything that recklessly pushes Russia away from the negotiating table." He added that Russia is doing "very little to help the Islamic Republic of Iran, compared to what it could be doing," and that he wants this to continue. Trump also accused Zelenski of targeting Russian oil refineries "knowing that these attacks are severely hurting global oil markets, including those of the United States. Farmers, ranchers and businesses of all kinds are suffering greatly because of it, but Russia, despite everything, keeps sending the world millions of barrels of oil at low prices." "Zelenski doesn't care, and frankly, with all the money that Europe is well known to be giving him, and that dishonest Joe Biden gave him in the past, he doesn't want to end this war, and probably never did," Trump wrote. "He could have gotten a better deal two years ago than he can get now. His country is in ruins, it has lost much of its territory, its oceans and seas have disappeared, and its male population is scarce, wounded or dead."