Zelenskyy says Trump taking Russia's side is painful amid sanctions row

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said it is "painful" that Donald Trump appears to be choosing Russia's side in the war in Ukraine. In comments published in an interview on the Piers Morgan Uncensored podcast, Zelenskyy said it was a "pity" that Ukraine was losing a strong partner. He was responding to a period of sharper rhetoric from the US president, including a remark that Zelenskyy should be replaced.

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The dispute comes after Trump agreed to lift sanctions on Russian diesel exports and pushed for an "energy ceasefire" between Ukraine and Russia over the weekend. According to the supplied material, that proposal appeared to surprise Zelenskyy and was ignored by the Kremlin. Zelenskyy said he was comfortable with Trump being "in the middle" of the conflict, but added that if he was in the middle, he had to stay there.

Zelenskyy also said he felt betrayed, while stressing that the issue was larger than personal feelings. He said Ukraine was not "selling" its country and that the war was not a business matter but a question of national survival. The comments underline the strain in relations between Kyiv and Washington at a time when US support remains central to Ukraine's war effort.

The row matters because it touches both battlefield diplomacy and sanctions policy. Any shift in Washington's position on Russia can affect pressure on the Kremlin, the wider Western response, and the terms on which future negotiations might take place. The move to ease sanctions on Russian diesel exports has already drawn criticism from European leaders, according to the supplied report, reflecting concern that economic pressure on Moscow could weaken.

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The timing is also politically sensitive in the United States, where voters are increasingly focused on inflation and the cost of living ahead of crucial midterm elections. Trump has argued that lifting sanctions on Russian diesel would help lower fuel prices, while also linking Ukrainian drone attacks to higher diesel costs. The supplied material says he has sought to present the issue as part of a broader energy debate rather than solely as a consequence of the war.

What remains unclear is whether the latest exchange will lead to any change in US policy or in the diplomatic channel between Washington and Kyiv. It is also not clear how far Trump's proposed energy ceasefire could go after the Kremlin ignored it. For now, the comments point to a widening public split over how the war should be handled and who should bear the economic cost.

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