President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the United States could make a historic mistake by supporting Russia, risking Ukraine’s survival. Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” he said U.S. backing of Putin would “not prevail” and called it “a tragedy.”
The warning followed a week of escalating tensions. President Trump announced on Oct. 9 a deal to buy Russian diesel, asking Ukraine to pause attacks on Russian oil facilities, which it briefly did. Kyiv said it received nothing in return while Russia intensified bombings.
On Friday, Trump rolled back new U.S. sanctions on Russia, a move Zelensky condemned as aiding the aggressor. He also accused Washington of orchestrating a “planned operation” to limit the speed of Ukraine’s Starshield satellite internet service — SpaceX’s military-grade Starlink — used by drones. The service has reportedly throttled speeds, hindering drone operations.
Zelensky said the directive came from the Trump administration, though he did not name a specific official. President Trump denied ordering the restrictions and said Elon Musk was not responsible. A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has called for an investigation. Kyiv has sought answers from the Pentagon and SpaceX, but received no response.
Ukrainian officials report ongoing disruptions, with some units still unable to operate drones at full speed, endangering air defense amid intensified Russian aerial attacks.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing