Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is openly defying President Donald Trump, announcing this week that he will authorize more attacks against Russian oil refineries even after Washington requested that he stop.
This follows Moscow’s apparent disregard for a ceasefire agreement Washington announced, with President Donald Trump later telling journalists that both sides agreed to it because he “said so.”
Mirage 2000 Fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Mirage 2000. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The decision comes after Ukraine suspended its strikes for three days at President Trump’s request, only for Russia to continue launching strikes against Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
And it comes as Zelenskyy tells media outlets across the United Kingdom and United States that the Trump administration “betrayed” Ukraine and that the administration is deliberately undermining Ukraine’s ability to defend itself by withholding intelligence and satellite communications data.
Zelenskyy said on Thursday, October 15, that he would resume the strikes against energy infrastructure, marking another major deterioration in relations between Washington and Kyiv after the president announced last week that he would ease sanctions on Russian diesel exports.
The president has repeatedly demanded that Ukraine stop the attacks on Russian refineries, even publicly insisting less than a week ago that Zelenskyy “better damn well stop.” Trump argues that Ukraine’s continued strikes risk the global economy amid a worsening international diesel shortage that has pushed fuel prices to record highs – and the problem is particularly serious for Trump as his Republican Party defends critical seats in Congress in the upcoming November 3 elections.
But Ukraine appears to have lost patience with the president and his demands – and reports now confirm that another Russian refinery has been struck.
Zelenskyy Says Ukraine Is Done Listening to Trump
Despite depending on the United States for critical Patriot interceptors and intelligence that predicts incoming Russian missile strikes, Ukraine appears to be publicly indicating that it will no longer bend to Washington’s demands.
In an interview published Thursday, Zelenskyy told the Financial Times that Ukraine would no longer abide by restrictions on attacking Russian energy infrastructure.
“The block [on attacking refineries] is out. We’re done,” Zelenskyy said.
The comments followed reports of an attack on a Rosneft refinery located in Russia’s Ryazan region, roughly 110 miles southeast of Moscow.
Regional Governor Pavel Malkov confirmed that the strike had caused a fire at the facility.
Russia’s Defense Ministry also blamed the fire on Ukrainian drone strikes.
The extent of the damage is still unclear, but the attack proves that Ukraine is willing to defy the United States and continue striking the Russian oil industry despite the president’s threats.
The decision came after continued Russian attacks against Ukrainian energy infrastructure, including another massive overnight attack on central Ukraine.
President Zelenskyy says Kyiv initially showed willingness to negotiate by temporarily suspending its refinery strikes, but Moscow has not offered to do the same.
What Trump Said
President Donald Trump has repeatedly blamed Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries for the worsening global fuel shortage – even though those shortages have largely been caused by the Iran war, where exchanges of missile and drone strikes have taken out regional refining infrastructure and limited the ability to export petroleum products for more than six months.
Refinery strikes in Ukraine and Russia, however, are certainly contributing to the problem now.
Speaking to reporters outside of the White House on Saturday, October 10, President Trump went so far as to suggest that Ukraine should replace its current president with someone more willing to negotiate and end the refinery strikes.
“We told him, do whatever you want, but don’t hit the diesel fuel because there’s a big problem, a big shortage,” the president said. “So what does he do? He goes and hits refineries.”
“I said to him, do what you want, don’t hit refineries. There’s plenty of targets. Don’t hit refineries. And he went out and he – and he’s not going to affect our farmers, and he’s not going to affect our ranchers. He’s not going to affect the rest of the world,” the president continued, outlining the reasoning for his opposition to Zelenskyy’s strikes.
Why Ukraine Won’t Stop
For Ukraine, attacking Russian refineries is not just a matter of retaliation, but a military strategy intended to raise the cost of Moscow continuing the war.
Striking diesel refineries hits Russia hard, cuts government revenue, and further harms the economy, which could push Putin to negotiate.
According to Euronews, Ukraine struck 12 major Russian refineries in September alone – and by late August, only five of Russia’s 32 major refineries had reportedly escaped Ukrainian drone strikes.
With NATO allies facing growing pressure to choose between Trump’s economic priorities and Ukraine’s ability to sustain its defense, it’s unclear where this goes next.
Still, if Ukraine continues to defy Trump, Zelenskyy risks Washington refusing to provide critical intelligence that helps the country defend against Russian ballistic missile attacks.
About the Author: Jack Buckby
Jack Buckby is a British researcher and analyst specializing in defense and national security, based in New York. His work focuses on military capability, procurement, and strategic competition, and he produces and edits analysis for policy and defense audiences. He brings extensive editorial experience, with a career output spanning over 1,000 articles at National Security Journal, and has previously authored books and papers on extremism and deradicalization.
