Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he felt betrayed by President Donald Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel, accusing the United States being on the wrong side of history if it sides with Moscow over Kyiv.
"It's painful when President Trump chooses one side, not our side," Zelenskyy said on Oct. 14 during an appearance on "Piers Morgan Uncensored." "This is not the right side of history."
Trump struck a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to ease sanctions on Russian diesel in a bid to lower fuel prices and help the Republican party ahead of November’s midterm elections.
The decision to ease pressure on Russia has prompted outrage from Zelenskyy, European leaders, and both Democratic and Republican lawmakers.
But
Trump doubled down on his agreement with Putin and assailed Zelenskyy, calling for leadership change in Kyiv and accusing the Ukrainian leader of being an obstacle to peace.
“It's a pity that we are losing a strong partner,” Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy visited London on Oct. 14 to meet with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and King Charles as European leaders across the continent have sought to demonstrate their ironclad commitment to Ukraine as its relations with the United States deteriorated.
Ukraine is also worried that Washington may decide to withhold intelligence if it does not agree to Trump’s demands to halt airstrikes on Russian oil refineries. Trump has said that the United States has continued to share intel with Kyiv.
Ukrainian officials, including Zelenskyy, accused SpaceX CEO Elon Musk of limiting its Starshield satellite services overnight on Oct. 14, hindering their ability to defend against a barrage of Russian missile and drone attacks.
The Ukrainian military heavily depends on Starshield – the military version of Starlink – for internet connectivity. The technology has allowed Ukrainian forces to attack Russian targets and defend against airstrikes throughout the war even as Russia uses electronic warfare to disrupt traditional methods of communication.
“Our armed forces did not receive a warning about these restrictions and this led to the disruption of a number of missions,” said Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to Zelenskyy.
During his interview with Piers Morgan, Zelenskyy slammed the decision to “switch off” the satellite services provided by Musk’s company.
“People will die,” he said.
Musk distanced himself from the Starshield disruption, writing on social media that “Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government.”
“Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the U.S. military and ultimately (the U.S. president),” Musk added.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Zelenskyy says he felt betrayed by Trump's diesel deal with Putin
