US President Criticizes Ukrainian Counterpart Again: No Desire to End War with Russia

Washington, Oct 18 (KUNA) – U.S. President Donald Trump renewed his sharp criticism of his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, over the war with Russia, accusing him of “not wanting” to end it. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said, “I am currently negotiating to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, and I do not want to take any step that would push Moscow to withdraw from the talks,” adding that he has made “significant progress” so far. He further stated that Zelensky is responsible for obstructing a peace deal with Russia, saying, “Zelensky has never wanted to end the war, despite the vast sums of money Europe has provided him; he could have reached a better deal two years ago than what he can achieve now.” Trump also accused the Ukrainian president of “not caring” about the targeting of diesel refineries inside Russia and the severe damage it inflicts on global diesel markets, including U.S. markets. He emphasized the importance of the agreement he signed with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week to supply additional diesel shipments to the world at “reduced” prices. Last week, Trump announced that he had held a “very constructive” phone conversation with Putin regarding the supply of Russian diesel to the American and global markets, describing the deal as a “huge and very important announcement” for lowering diesel prices in the near future. Trump’s latest attack comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently refused to resign or hold presidential elections in Ukraine, insisting he would not submit to what he described as “American pressure,” namely the U.S. president’s call for the Ukrainian people to choose a new president. (End) A.M.M. / S.A.M.