Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the war with Russia “must end” and that his country was preparing for the “next stage” of diplomacy to end the conflict.
The Ukrainian leader’s comments came amid a major diplomatic clash with US President Donald Trump, who on Friday night waived sanctions targeting Russia’s energy economy.
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“I met with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, special envoys of the President of the United States,” Zelenskiy wrote in a social media post Sunday.
He added that while “a lot depends on the US position,” it was clear that “there are a lot of things that are important to all of us.”
The Trump administration had already eased restrictions on Russian fuel imports on October 9, announcing an agreement in which Russia would supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel to the U.S. and global markets to combat soaring fuel prices.
The US Treasury temporarily allowed imports despite existing sanctions, prompting criticism that the move could provide Russia with revenue to sustain the war in Ukraine.
President Trump also criticized Ukraine’s recent attack on Russian energy infrastructure, calling it “disgraceful.”
Nevertheless, Zelenskiy said his team was in “virtually non-stop communication” with the US’s counterpart, and the focus of the dialogue was on the outcome of the talks in Florida and further steps.
US is unsure about access to Ukrainian technology
Zelensky also said he was “grateful” that the United States had resumed intelligence sharing with Ukraine, which had become particularly vulnerable to Russia’s regular ballistic missile attacks, after suspending it.
“It was blocked for a certain period of time, but then the block was lifted by the US side,” President Zelensky told NBC. “Only the US has the unique information to inform our side when Russia uses a ballistic missile. And we were not able to obtain it during the three-day ballistic attack.”
Kiev also reported speed limits on Starshield, the military version of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite connectivity network, a satellite service provided to Ukraine by Musk’s company SpaceX.
Ukraine said relay equipment is now limiting the speed at which receivers can move while maintaining connectivity, making it nearly impossible to intercept Russia’s improved jet-powered long-range drones.
Musk said the restrictions placed on StarShield connectivity were the responsibility of the US government. The White House quickly rebuked this, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent calling Zelenskiy “very reckless” in an interview with NBC on Sunday for accusing the United States of stifling connectivity.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that Ukraine is currently cut off from StarShield and that a request from Kiev to access the system for attacks deep in Russia is “under consideration.”
Trump orders 60-day review, U.S. officials defend Russia immunity
Meanwhile, in the United States, President Trump is facing bipartisan backlash over his executive order Friday night waiving parts of Lindsey Graham’s Russia-Iran Sanctions Act of 2026.
President Trump signed the law in September in honor of his late Republican ally, Sen. Graham.
But his decision to ease sanctions and tariffs on Russia has also sparked a backlash from within his own party. The penalty law was scheduled to come into effect on Sunday.
President Trump suggested over the weekend that he had not yet made a final decision on easing sanctions against Russia.
“My decision regarding Russia is very simple. I am in the midst of peace negotiations in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and I do not want to foolishly push Russia away from the negotiating table,” he wrote on Truth Social.
He concluded his post with further criticism of Zelensky. “He doesn’t want this war to end and probably never will,” Trump said of the Ukrainian leader.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that President Trump wants up to 60 days to assess the economic impact of sanctions and tariffs that were lifted on Friday.
But President Zelenskiy warned that the waiver could embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin and prolong the war.
Rubio also defended the latest deal to import Russian diesel, saying, “That diesel will be sold in some form.” He argued that the fundamental issue is how much money the United States will set aside for itself.
In a series of media appearances Sunday morning, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright also supported the deal.
He told the ABC that the deal was “a carrot to end the war, not an economic lifeline” for Russia.
“If Russia can bring additional diesel to market and export it, it will benefit American consumers,” Wright told CNN. “He is applying pressure that will benefit American consumers and at the same time be a step towards peace in the Russia-Ukraine war.”
Continued long range attacks
Also on Sunday, Ukrainian media reported that Russian airstrikes killed two people in the West Volyn region near the border with Poland and injured at least five others across the country. A woman was killed and a six-year-old child was injured in a nighttime Russian attack in the Zaporizhia region.
On Saturday night and early Sunday morning, Ukraine attacked St. Petersburg, Russia’s second largest city, with a large-scale drone attack. Targets included a major oil refinery and warehouse, a warehouse for Russian online retailer Ozone, and a data center operated by Russian social media company Vkontakte.
At least one person was killed in the attack, which Russian state media said was the largest attack on the city since the start of the war in 2022.
