Trump condemns Ukraine’s renewed strikes on Russian oil refineries

President Donald Trump condemned Ukraine’s renewed attacks on Russian oil refineries in an interview aired Thursday, October 15, 2026, arguing that the strikes increase global fuel prices. His comments added a direct presidential rebuke to a dispute that had already ended a brief, informal pause in attacks on energy infrastructure.

“All he’s doing is making the world oil price higher,” Trump told Newsmax, according to Reuters and The Guardian. He called the refinery campaign a “disgrace” and said Ukraine could choose other targets instead of facilities that produce diesel needed by the global market. The remarks do not amount to a new legal restriction on Kyiv, but they make Trump’s opposition to the attacks explicit.

Trump renews criticism of Zelenskyy

Trump also repeated his dissatisfaction with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He said he was not a fan of the Ukrainian leader and described Zelenskyy as more difficult to deal with than Russian President Vladimir Putin. That assessment is Trump’s political judgment, not evidence that Russia and Ukraine have accepted the same peace terms or share responsibility for the war.

The criticism followed Ukraine’s decision to resume strikes on Russian refineries after observing a three-day pause. Zelenskyy said Kyiv would no longer hold back while Russian forces continued attacking Ukrainian energy sites. Moscow had not publicly confirmed that it accepted the energy ceasefire Trump announced, and there was no signed agreement setting out protected targets, a start time or an enforcement process.

Ukraine says its refinery campaign reduces revenue and fuel supplies supporting Russia’s military. Russia and the United States have emphasized the potential effect on energy markets. Trump’s latest argument focuses on consumer and global supply consequences rather than on Ukraine’s stated military rationale.

A ceasefire without agreed terms

The dispute grew out of Trump’s announcement that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to stop attacking energy facilities. Ukraine initially said it would comply if Russia did the same, but Ukrainian officials later reported continued Russian attacks on power and gas infrastructure. Russia said the terms of any pause were still under discussion. With no jointly published framework, the supposed truce remained a presidential declaration rather than a verifiable bilateral accord.

Ukraine then targeted the Rosneft-owned Ryazan refinery, a major facility southeast of Moscow. Russian authorities said intercepted drone debris caused a fire; the full extent of any damage was not immediately clear. The attack made Kyiv’s policy change concrete and prompted Trump’s new public response.

The disagreement also comes amid wider strain in the U.S.-Ukraine relationship. Ukrainian officials have questioned changes affecting access to military satellite communications and warning information. Zelenskyy has sought stronger European backing and additional air-defense support, while Trump has continued to press Kyiv over refinery attacks and his broader effort to negotiate an end to the war.

What the statement changes

Trump’s interview is a material escalation in rhetoric, but it does not establish that Washington has imposed new sanctions, halted aid or ordered Ukraine to stop by a specific deadline. Nor does it resolve the competing factual claims about compliance with the short-lived energy pause. Those questions depend on government decisions and battlefield evidence beyond the president’s criticism.

The immediate consequence is a clearer policy divide. Trump says refinery strikes are harmful because of their effect on diesel and prices. Ukraine says they are a legitimate way to pressure Russia while Ukrainian infrastructure remains under attack. Any renewed energy agreement would need both governments to accept precise, reciprocal terms—something the earlier announcement lacked.

Sources and image credit

Reporting: Reuters and The Guardian. The White House separately published official video of Trump speaking to reporters in Missoula on October 15.

Image: Official White House video thumbnail showing President Donald Trump speaking to reporters in Missoula, Montana, on October 15, 2026; original image. As a White House federal-government work, it is public domain in the United States. The image was resized to 1600×900; no overlay was added.