Former President Donald Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's strategy in the ongoing conflict with Russia, asserting that strikes targeting Russian diesel fuel are contributing to a global shortage. Trump made these remarks on Sunday morning while speaking to reporters at the Irish Open, held at his golf club in Doonbeg, Ireland.
"Mr. Zelensky has to do one thing. He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia," Trump said. "Let him go after targets but not diesel fuel, because he's causing a shortage of diesel fuel."
Ukraine has been targeting Russia's oil and gas industry for months, which Kyiv maintains funds and fuels Moscow's invasion. Ukrainian drone campaigns have reportedly led to fuel rationing across Russia, despite its status as a major oil and gas exporter. In recent weeks, Russia has intensified its air campaign against Ukraine, utilizing ballistic missiles and drones to breach Ukrainian defenses and target the country's power grid ahead of winter, with officials stating the aim is to demoralize civilians.
Large-scale drone exchanges between Russia and Ukraine overnight into Sunday resulted in civilian casualties. Local officials reported that two people were killed and 14 injured near an oil and industrial hub in Russia's Tatarstan. Ukrainian authorities, meanwhile, reported Russian drones striking the Black Sea port of Odesa and starting a fire near a border crossing with Poland.
Amidst the ongoing conflict, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated on Sunday that Moscow is open to resuming peace talks in the autumn, potentially including Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S. "We are not ruling out that possibility. We are specifically talking about the foreseeable future. That is, October cannot be ruled out," Peskov told reporters.
These comments follow diplomatic engagements last weekend, where U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff held discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, subsequently meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv. However, core demands from both Moscow and Kyiv, particularly regarding territorial concessions, remain mutually exclusive, hindering progress in peace negotiations.