Trump slams Zelensky after Ukraine's major attack on Russia

These are explosions in Saint Petersburg. Over the weekend, Ukraine launched. one of its largest. drone attacks of the year. on Russia, hitting a key oil terminal. The strikes come as tensions. grow between Ukraine and the US. Ukraine's actions. are in defiance. of pressure from President Trump. to stop targeting energy infrastructure, even as Russia. has continued to hit. Ukrainian energy sites. In a Truth Social post, President Trump slammed. the Ukrainian president, saying, quote, Zelensky is using diesel.

refineries in Russia as a target, knowing that these attacks. are seriously hurting the world. diesel market. So that's he doesn't care. And frankly, with all of the money. that Europe is famously giving him. and that Crooked Joe Biden. gave them in the past, he doesn't want to end this war. and probably never did. Mr. Trump also defended his decision. to waive sanctions. related to Russian fossil. fuel sales, just days before. they were set to begin. In a Truth Social post, he said he doesn't want to do anything. to drive. Russia away from negotiations.

to end the war in Ukraine, claiming great progress is being made. While Mr. Zelensky said in an interview. that the US siding with Russia. would be a, quote, historic mistake, he also said he spoke with U.S. envoy Steve. Wyckoff and Trump's son in law, Jared Kushner, on Sunday. as part of nonstop. communication, working. towards the goal of achieving peace. CNN's Clare. Sebastian has been following. developments here from London and Clare. This Truth Social post from Donald.

Trump. is just another sign. of the deteriorating relationship. with President Zelensky. and the fact that the president. is continuing. to believe that. siding with Russia will lead them. back to the negotiating table. Yeah, Christina. And I think at this point, it's pretty clear. that Russia could not be further, from a desire to negotiate. to end this war. We saw another massive overnight attack, Sunday into Monday. There are now reports of one killed, eight injured, in Kiev.

Russia said that it targeted, military facilities. But we're hearing about a metro station, a medical facility, an educational institution hit in Kyiv. There are six injured. and another three missing. in the Kiev region. And western Ukraine was targeted. Zelensky said that ten energy facilities. were hit there, in the space of one night, knocking out power. for more than half a million households. Crucially. I think given what. we've seen over the past week, we are hearing from President Zelensky, he said, that there was no early warning. when it came. to these ballistic missile attacks.

This would be the fourth time. this has happened, in the past week. that Ukraine has said. that the usual early warning. that it gets via U.S. intelligence, it didn't get. there was a clarification. on Ukrainian TV from the spokesman. to the Air Force. who said there were two ballistic. missile strikes, over the past night. There was one at 11 p.m. and another at 3 a.m., and there was no warning from partners. for the first strike. But for the second one, there was. So it's a little bit unclear. what is happening there. That came just hours after. President Zelensky did a couple of,

interviews on Sunday, including with NBC's Meet. the Press, where he said. that intelligence sharing from the U.S. had been stopped for three days. but then restored. So again, it's. we don't understand at this point. what's happening. and why they didn't get early warning. They said, for one of those ballistic. missile strikes. But what is clear, of course, is that Moscow. is capitalizing on this rift. between the US and Ukraine. We now have a waiver, of course, from Trump, in place. when it comes to those new sanctions. that were due to kick in. over the weekend, as well as, of course, the sanctions relief. inherent in that diesel deal. President Zelensky has stepped up.

his rhetoric towards. the US over the past week, but it's also clear. that Ukraine cannot afford. to give up on that relationship entirely. Take a listen to this clip. from his interview. with Meet the Press on Sunday. Can Ukraine win this. war without the United States? President Zelensky? Very difficult. It fits. without the United States support. It's very difficult. But if the United States. will support Putin, I mean, it's unbelievable.

It's tragedy. It's historic mistake and big tragedy. so that he continues to warn about this. I think the fear from President Zelensky. is that on top of the sanctions relief. that we've already seen, the US could go further. and deepen its economic ties, with Moscow, which would put Ukraine, of course, in an even more vulnerable position. Joining me now. to talk more about this, Russia's war, with Ukraine. and all of these developments is, John Herbst. He is a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine.

Ambassador, great to see you. Thank you very much for having me. So this was Ukrainian. President Volodymyr Zelensky. today on Meet the Press. responding to President Trump. now waiving those sanctions on Russia. Listen, strengthening Putin's. war against us. because he feels success. He doesn't have any kind of success. on the battlefield, especially these year 2026.

He lost opportunity. just on the battlefield. and all his operations. he lost. So be not successful. And because of our army. and they've been very strong. I was sort of in the very strong. this year. Then we really tried to build. in this house shield. to defend our civilians, but always be decorated with, Patriot missiles.

and other kind of air defense. But in any way, it's understandable. that we have something. We have support of. Americans have support from Europeans. But, but now I think that this, you know, this it's, it's really big support for Putin. He feels victory with sanctions. Ambassador, I. did the. Trump administration just hand.

Russia's Vladimir Putin, you know, victory. a gift, as Ukraine's president puts it. They haven't handed him victory, but they've given him. several gifts over the past week, week and a half. Well, Putin has done. everything he can, not just to conquer Ukraine, but to counter. the United States in the Middle East. Also, while Putin is warning against us, we are sending him kisses. And that's a very bad look. Well, I say several things. The most important thing is the cut off.

of the star shield intelligence, which has been one. very good element of support. that Trump has provided. It actually precedes Trump, but his term is he survived. that almost the entire time. Cutting that off is very serious. It makes it much harder. for Ukraine to stop the strikes. that are actually civilians. going after Ukrainian energy, water infrastructure. So that's one. that's the most important thing. Two, the thing that's set off. the war of words was the diesel. vehicle, right, was buying.

diesel fuel from Russia, which will have will come in. very small numbers. and not have any real impact. on gas prices, diesel prices. in the United States. The third thing, of course, is this waiver right. This was the Lindsey Graham bill, which everyone signed. because we need to be tough on Russia. And yet now. the consequence of that bill. have been neutered by the president. without one thing in return from Putin. And this is while Russia continues. to give intelligence to Iran. to murder American servicemen. in the Middle East.

And now you have, you know, Zelensky summing really all that up. and saying, you know, it's disappointing, you know, that Ukraine cannot count. on the US as being a friend. The you know, do you assess it that way? And if that is the case, can Europe. be the only reliable ally for Ukraine? Certainly. The inconsistencies of Trump's. policy on the war. have raised eyebrows, especially now. when he seems to be leaning. very much in the Kremlin's direction,

but different periods before he's. leaned in that direction. and then lean back towards the good side. so that the United States. should be pursuing, because it very much. is important for our interests, because Putin considers us. to be his principal adversary. Was international relations. to be for enemy? But I understand why Zelensky says that. And many of our allies are concerned. And as an American. who wants a strong foreign policy, who believes very much. in making sure our adversaries. that starts with China. and Russia at the top, Iran, too, does get an advantage.

It's very disconcerting. And Mr. Ambassador, you know Zelensky. also said if Russia and the U.S. are working together. I'm quoting him now. of course. we will not prevail. and we will not be able to stand. Is that the direction. you see as happening? I think. I think it's too strong. to say that Russia. and the United States. are working together. As I've said, Russia's. working against our interests. all the time. But right now, we don't look like a nation. that understands our enemies.

and is taking care of our interests. And so I my concerns are first. and foremost with the United States. This is a very bad look, but also for our allies, NATO. and our partners. and friends like Ukraine, because Ukraine by by truly. damaging the Russian military, is helping the security. of the United States. Angela Stent. is a senior fellow. at the American Enterprise Institute. She's also author of Putin's World, Russia Against the West. and with the Rest. And she joins me now from Washington. Angela, thanks so much for being here. You have said that.

Russia believes it's. winning the war in Ukraine. Is it? I think at the moment. it's still a stalemate, but unfortunately. it's been much more difficult. for Ukraine. In the past few weeks, the Russians have really been. hitting them. with lots more ballistic missiles. Day and night. No reprieve. And now, of course, with the lifting of sanctions. and with the purchase of their diesel,

which will fill their coffers. with money to continue pursuing this war. The tide seems to be turning in favor. of Russia. Although, it's, you know, it's. still not in a position to win, but I think it feels emboldened now. You've also said that. Trump is laying the groundwork. to blame Zelensky if Republicans do badly. in the US midterms, how? Because he understands that high oil.

prices, high gas prices. have turned a lot of potential voters. against him. And the reason for that, of course, is the Iran war. The Russia. Ukraine war. has very little to do with it. But he needs a scapegoat. And so he says, if only Zelensky would stop. hitting Russian oil refineries, then there'd be more oil, more oil on the international market. and prices would go down. In fact, it would make an. infinitesimal difference. But it's I think it's very convenient.

to blame Zelensky. for this, particularly since Trump. has never really liked Zelensky. And I think he still blames them, for not giving him. more information in his first term, to about, the corruption. of what he considered. the corruption of the Biden. family and of Hunter Biden. And what. is Ukraine supposed to do. when they're defending themselves. from Russian attacks. and even running out. now of Patriot defense missiles. leaving Kyiv and other cities. defenseless against ballistic missiles?

Well, this is all they can do. They don't have any more. Patriot batteries from the United States. These have been used up in the Iran war. The US is now stopped sharing Stahl. Shield with them, which is the internet service. that enables them. to launch their own drones. and even the Starlink, which they use for other purposes, is now being slowed down. So they really have no choice. If they don't hit. the Russian oil refineries, the Russians will just keep pounding them. and they'll be defenseless.

Do you think we're approaching a point. where Ukraine might have. to reconsider its war strategy. just to survive this winter? It's already facing. a very dire situation in the winter. The Europeans are doing. as much as they can to help Ukraine, but they can't do as much. as the United States. But Ukraine doesn't. have really any options. It doesn't want to surrender the land. to Russia that Russia doesn't control.

And it's not going to admit defeat. So it's Zelensky said today. It's going to continue fighting. even without the weapons it needs. And even without those. internet connections, because it really. doesn't have any choice. But it will be a very bad winter. for them. And the Russians. will do everything. to starve them of electricity, water, and to try and force them. to leave all the major cities. And where does this leave Europe? What options, what leverage do they have?

Well, they they they're trying to, provide as much money. and support. to Ukraine. as they have financial support, the trying to provide more weapons, but they just don't. have the same weapons. that the United States does. The the leverage is small. Clearly they disagree with what. President Trump has done. in the last week in terms. of all the economic benefits. he's given to Russia. But they will continue supporting Ukraine.

because they understand. that Russia. believes that it's at war. not only with Ukraine, but with Europe, too. And there's more and more sabotage. Russia hitting ships, that are in Rumanian waters, hitting Poland. So they have to do everything. they can. to try and deter Russia. and the support of the U.S. Supreme commander of, NATO forces in. Europe has said that NATO has a plan,

for what to do. if Russia attacks a NATO country. But, and most NATO leaders believe. that that could happen. within the next few years. Troubling times for so. many, and particularly. the people of Ukraine. who are still there, still fighting against this. after all of these years. Angela Stent, thank you very much for joining us. We appreciate your expertise.