Donald Trump has defended his decision to waive elements of a sweeping new sanctions package on Russia while accusing Volodymyr Zelenskyy of not wanting to end the war, deepening a public rift between Washington and Kyiv as the conflict enters its 1,699th day.
Writing on Truth Social, the US president said his approach to Russia was straightforward. «My decision on Russia is a very simple one. I am in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and don’t want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table,» he wrote. He then turned on Zelenskyy, saying: «Zelenskyy doesn’t care, and frankly, with all of the money that Europe is famously giving him … he doesn’t want to end this war, and probably never did.»
The remarks follow an executive order signed on Friday that put on hold a sweeping new sanctions package targeting the Russian economy. The move has raised questions among allies about Washington’s leverage over Moscow at a delicate moment in negotiations.
Zelenskyy had earlier thanked the Trump administration for resuming intelligence sharing between the two countries, but maintained that the US had intentionally throttled its Starlink satellite internet access to send a «message» to Kyiv. The Ukrainian leader’s mixed response reflects the fragile state of the relationship, with cooperation on intelligence restored even as disputes over satellite communications and sanctions policy persist.
In the Baltic region, Lithuania said Russia was likely behind an attempted arson attack on a company hosting communication hardware for Starlink satellites. Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius made the claim on broadcaster LRT after authorities discovered flammable liquids at the company in question. He said the firm, whose location he did not disclose, houses «nine satellite antennas to guarantee the Starlink connection, which of course supports and assists Ukraine». He added: «It is obvious this is part of the hybrid war being waged by Russia, involving acts of sabotage.»
The incident follows a pattern of attacks on Starlink infrastructure. In September, a satellite station belonging to the network in central Poland was set ablaze, with Warsaw claiming sabotage. In Bulgaria, an investigation is under way amid claims that antennas linked to the Starlink network were set on fire. The targeting of satellite communications highlights the role of private technology infrastructure in the wider conflict.
On the energy front, a senior Russian official said shipping Russian diesel to the US market would take 15 to 20 days once contracts are signed, though no date for signing has been announced. Trump announced the controversial agreement with Moscow last week, seen as a way to try to lower fuel prices for American consumers ahead of crucial midterm elections. «Negotiations are currently under way regarding the commercial terms – that is, on finalisation of the contracts,» Russian deputy prime minister for energy Alexander Novak said in an interview with state media. «Once the contracts are signed, the fuel will reach the markets – in this case, the US markets – within 15 to 20 days.»
Meanwhile, Ukrainian strikes set an oil export terminal and a depot ablaze in St Petersburg on Sunday as Kyiv launched more than 1,000 drones at Russia in one of its largest aerial attacks of the war. One person was killed and five others were wounded, officials said, with fires breaking out at the Petersburg oil terminal and the city’s Ruchi oil depot. A logistics centre belonging to Russian retailer Ozon and a datacentre operated by Russian tech company VK were also targeted, the companies confirmed.
Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had destroyed 1,015 Ukrainian drones over 15 Russian regions, the annexed Crimean peninsula and the Black Sea. A Russian air strike killed one person and injured two in Kyiv overnight, mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram early on Monday. A medical facility and a non-residential building were damaged in the attack, he said.
A suspected drone also exploded over Lithuania after triggering an alert that forced residents in northern and central areas to seek shelter for an hour on Sunday, officials said. Ukraine’s foreign ministry later said it regretted the incident in Lithuania’s airspace, adding that it may have resulted from Russian electronic warfare diverting drones off course. Lithuanian defence minister Robertas Kaunas told reporters the object had flown into Lithuanian airspace from Poland.