Zelensky on Trump: “Moves have been made to force Ukraine to capitulate” – proposes ending strikes on Russian diesel in exchange for Patriots

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused US President Donald Trump of trying to pressure Kyiv into capitulating to Russia, escalating a row that has lasted about a week. “I believe moves have been made aimed at forcing Ukraine to capitulate,” he said on Sunday, October 18 in an interview with Bloomberg from his office in Kyiv. He added that he does not believe this is the partners’ intention, but that this is the picture that is forming.

In the same interview Zelensky presented a new proposal: Ukraine would stop striking Russian diesel production facilities and, in exchange, the US would send more Patriot interceptors to protect Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Zelensky said Washington wants the strikes on diesel to stop and that, if Ukraine continues, the US will cut off its access to something else, without specifying what. “I think much more is at stake than the diesel deal,” he said.

Patriots, Starlink and “dangerous days”

According to the Ukrainian president, the US currently provides about 12 Patriot interceptors a month, about a quarter of the rate of the Biden era, and now sells them instead of granting them. “We have paid for the weapons,” he said.

He repeated the complaint that Starlink in Ukraine is cut off above about 160 kilometres per hour while abroad it works without a limit, and pointed towards the White House without naming anyone. The issue had opened last week with the complaints about a “brake” on Starshield.

“We have dangerous days ahead of us in view of the elections,” Zelensky said, referring to the US midterm elections on November 3, and estimated that relations may improve afterwards. “At this moment, Trump cannot force Putin to end the war,” he added.

The background to the row

The row broke out after the agreement between Trump and Putin not to impose new American sanctions on Russia, in exchange for limited quantities of Russian diesel on the international market, and the exemption of provisions of the Graham law on sanctions. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke of a 60-day period to study lifting the sanctions.

Despite the confrontation, Zelensky remains in contact with Trump’s envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, and a new meeting may take place within the week. Earlier the same day he had announced that the US had resumed giving intelligence on Russian ballistic missiles.

Ukraine is entering a difficult winter, with Russia hitting electricity substations and leaving tens of thousands of households without power.