Trump Criticizes Zelensky, Calls Ukraine Leader 'More Difficult to Deal With Than Putin'

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has renewed his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, stating that Zelensky is "more difficult to deal with than [Russian President Vladimir] Putin." Trump made these remarks in an interview with Newsmax on Thursday evening, adding that he is "not a big fan" of the Ukrainian leader.

Trump also called Ukraine's recent strikes on Russian oil refineries a "disgrace." He suggested that these attacks contribute to higher global oil prices and that Ukraine has "a lot of targets that you can hit" other than energy infrastructure.

Zelensky, who is currently in Brussels for a summit with European Union leaders, had reportedly paused these strikes for three days at Trump's request for a ceasefire on energy targets. However, Zelensky stated on Thursday that the strikes would resume because Russia had not ceased its own attacks.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, speaking to reporters alongside Zelensky in Brussels, affirmed that the EU would not lift sanctions on Russia unless Moscow stops the war. "Of course, we supported President Trump's energy ceasefire, but we've seen that Russia did not respect it, not a single minute," Von der Leyen said. "Russia escalated, and therefore we have to increase sanctions on Russia."

Trump's comments come as Zelensky engages in diplomatic efforts with EU leaders in Brussels. He met with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, as well as the presidents of Poland, France, Denmark, and Belgium, on Thursday. He was also scheduled to meet with leaders from the European Council, European Commission, Hungary, Finland, and Sweden on Friday.

Meanwhile, deadly attacks on Ukraine persisted. On Thursday night, Russian drone strikes in the northeastern city of Kharkiv killed several people and injured at least 14, according to regional governor Oleg Synegubov. Zelensky has not yet commented on Trump's latest remarks.