Trump Condemns Ukrainian Strikes on Russian Oil Refineries
US President Donald Trump called Ukraine's renewed strikes on Russian oil refineries "a disgrace". Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier rejected Trump's calls for an "energy ceasefire".
US President Donald Trump has condemned Ukraine's renewed strikes on Russian oil refineries, calling them "a disgrace". His remarks followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's rejection of Trump's calls for an "energy ceasefire", meaning a halt to attacks on energy facilities. France 24 reported the developments in a liveblog on 16 October.
Zelensky seeks European backing
Earlier that day, Zelensky sought support from European allies in Brussels, on the sidelines of a European Union summit. He met NATO chief Mark Rutte to rally backing against Russia.
Tension with Washington
Zelensky asked the United States not to stand with Moscow and called for "honesty". Kyiv had said it felt betrayed by gaps in intelligence sharing from Washington.
Separately, Elon Musk suggested that slowdowns in the Starlink system, which is used for battlefield communications and frontline logistics, were caused by Trump and the US military. The source gives no further detail on that claim.
Trump spoke in the White House Rose Garden on 15 October at an event for first responders.
