Trump Claims Progress on Ukraine Peace Deal, Criticizes Zelensky for Damaging Oil Markets

Former President Donald Trump announced Sunday that significant progress is being made toward negotiating an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine. In a series of posts on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump also strongly criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, accusing him of prolonging the conflict and damaging international diesel markets.

Trump stated that he is actively involved in peace negotiations and is refraining from actions, such as imposing new sanctions on Moscow, that could disrupt these efforts. "Great progress is being made, and that includes current hostage negotiations!" he wrote. He contended that his decision to delay the implementation of new sanctions against Russia was intended to keep Moscow at the negotiating table.

His remarks came as Ukraine reported launching over 1,000 drones toward Russian territory, with some strikes hitting oil infrastructure in St. Petersburg. Trump specifically targeted Zelensky, alleging that the Ukrainian president is deliberately using Russian diesel refineries as targets, which he claims are causing severe harm to global fuel supplies, including those in the United States. "Farmers, ranchers, and businesses of all kinds are suffering greatly from this," Trump asserted, though he provided no specific figures to support his claims about the economic impact.

Trump also portrayed Ukraine's position as dire, describing its territory as devastated and its population depleted. "He could have made a better deal two years ago than he can now," Trump said of Zelensky, suggesting the Ukrainian leader is not interested in ending the war.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials have pushed back against Trump's assertions. Zelensky, in an interview with NBC's Meet the Press, warned that Trump's stance on sanctions could provide an advantage to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelensky argued that Washington siding with Moscow would be a "historic mistake" and reiterated that Putin is an aggressor who has occupied Ukraine and caused casualties.

Russia's defense ministry reported shooting down dozens of Ukrainian drones. Russian authorities stated that Ukraine launched 1,015 drones across 15 Russian regions, occupied Crimea, and the Black Sea on Sunday. Strikes in St. Petersburg reportedly ignited fires at an oil terminal and an oil depot, resulting in one death and five injuries, according to regional governor Alexander Beglov. Ukrainian rescuers worked at the site of a Russian strike in Zaporizhzhia, where a woman and a six-year-old girl were among those injured.

Despite the public exchanges, diplomatic contacts have continued. Zelensky mentioned speaking with Trump's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, about ongoing negotiations. The situation highlights the complex diplomatic landscape as Trump seeks a resolution to the conflict while hostilities persist.