Zelenskiy says Trump is pushing Ukraine to surrender to Russia
The Ukrainian leader sharpens language he used a day earlier, as Patriot interceptor stocks run low and Washington limits satellite access.
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UpdateSunday, October 18, 2026 at 4:39 PM ET
The piece said no public response from the administration had appeared; Trump has since responded on Truth Social, disputing Zelenskiy's account and saying Zelenskiy does not want to end the war.
Trump responded on Truth Social, saying he is negotiating peace between Russia and Ukraine and will not sign an unspecified document for now because it could drive Russia from the table. He said "great progress is being made, and that includes current hostage negotiations." Trump also said Russia is sending "millions of barrels of diesel to the world" at low prices despite Ukrainian strikes on its refineries, which he said are hurting diesel markets in the US and abroad, affecting farmers, ranchers and businesses. He said Zelenskiy "doesn't want to end this war" despite the state of Ukraine's territory and population.
UpdateSunday, October 18, 2026 at 3:40 PM ET
Zelenskiy also proposed halting Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries in exchange for more air-defence interceptors. He pointed to eased Russia-related sanctions, alongside delayed Patriot deliveries and Starlink restrictions, as evidence of US pressure. He said he hopes relations with Washington could improve after the November 3 midterm elections, while peace talks continue.
Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said Trump is urging Ukraine to surrender to Russia. The accusation goes further than what he said a day earlier, when he accused Trump of pushing Ukraine toward capitulation.
Zelenskiy has linked a halt in Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries to the supply of US Patriot interceptors. Ukraine had just 10 Patriot interceptor missiles as of October 7, with resupply irregular since May. Ukraine had already exhausted its supply of US-made Patriot missiles, CNN reported earlier.
The White House has also ordered a formal limit on Ukraine's access to Starshield satellite capability. Trump has said allies can buy munitions once stockpiles are rebuilt, and said Ukraine has plenty of other targets to hit besides refineries.
Zelenskiy's language marks a shift from a leader who had mostly tied Ukrainian restraint to the pace of interceptor deliveries rather than to outright surrender. The charge comes as Patriot stocks run low and as a diesel supply and asset-unfreezing track, one European officials have called premature, moves forward. That timing suggests the accusation is aimed at pressuring Washington and Brussels ahead of any new aid package, rather than signaling that talks have advanced. Whether it shifts the US position depends on how the administration responds publicly, and no such response has yet appeared.