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Zelenskyy Abandons Trump's Refinery Truce, Resumes Strikes
Ukrainian President rejects ceasefire on energy targets after Russia continues bombing Ukraine's power grid despite deal.
What happened
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Thursday that he would no longer honor U.S. President Donald Trump's demand that Ukraine cease strikes on Russian oil refineries. 'The block (on attacking refineries) is out,' Zelenskyy told the Financial Times. 'We're done.'
The announcement capped days of escalating tensions. Trump had lifted sanctions on Russian diesel earlier and then announced a surprise "energy ceasefire" on Sunday that he claimed both sides had agreed to—though Zelenskyy said he had learned about it from social media and knew nothing beforehand. Zelenskyy described Trump's broader diesel-sanctions deal as a "weak decision" that would embolden Russia to prolong the war. Trump, blaming Ukrainian refinery strikes for raising global diesel prices ahead of U.S. midterm elections, had criticized Zelenskyy harshly, suggesting Ukraine needed a new leader.
Ukraine had initially complied with the ceasefire, halting refinery strikes for several days. But Russia continued bombing Ukrainian energy infrastructure after Trump's announcement. The Russian Defense Ministry reported intercepting 69 drones and four cruise missiles when Ukraine struck the Rosneft refinery in Ryazan on Thursday night, igniting a fire. Ukraine's OSCE delegation clarified that Kyiv was prepared to stop refinery strikes only if Russia reciprocally halted attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure—a mutual 'energy truce,' not a unilateral restraint favoring Russia.
The confrontation has also touched on satellite communications. Zelenskyy alleged disruptions to a critical U.S. satellite system his military relies on, attributing the limits to Trump's restrictions. He told Piers Morgan he felt "betrayed" by Trump and appealed for "honesty" from the U.S. about the war.
Chanakya's Move
Zelenskyy's move is a calculated gamble—a public rejection of Trump's pressure to signal that Ukraine cannot be coerced into a lopsided ceasefire while Russia keeps bombing its civilian infrastructure. The strategy bets that European allies, the U.S. Congress, and even sections of Trump's own party who oppose his Russia rapprochement will back Ukraine against Trump's threats. The real test is whether Trump will follow through on cutting intelligence or arms supplies. If he does, Zelenskyy loses the only leverage he has; if he doesn't, Trump's ultimatum loses credibility. The underlying bet: that Trump's concern for U.S. midterm politics (higher fuel prices) and his desire for a deal will eventually override his anger, forcing him back to the negotiating table on terms closer to Ukraine's. Russia, meanwhile, benefits from the chaos—the longer the U.S.-Ukraine rift widens, the less coordinated Western support becomes.