Bitter Zelensky snubs Trump for playing politics with Ukraine war | Gravitas

Even as US President Donald Trump announced that Ukraine and Russia have agreed to halt strikes on each other's energy infrastructure, the fighting continued unabated. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky went a step further and hinted that Trump was playing politics with the Ukraine war. While showing willingness to de-escalate, Zelensky maintained that any move by the US should not be influenced by elections. With midterm elections due in the US in November, this was perceived as a jibe at Trump, who is trying to address voter anxiety over inflation and the ongoing war in Iran.

Now, Zelensky's jibe also came after Trump warned Ukraine against attacking Russia's diesel infrastructure. Speaking to the media in Ireland over the weekend, the US President blamed Ukraine for causing a shortage of diesel across the world by striking Russia.

The latest war of words between the two leaders also brings back into focus how Zelensky has restrained himself, despite being at the receiving end of Trump's ire, amid the bonhomie between the US President and Putin.

Let me jog your memory back to February last year, when Zelensky met Trump at the White House. Within minutes, the Oval Office witnessed an extraordinary public clash, with Trump and US Vice President JD Vance criticising Zelensky over the direction of the Ukraine war and US aid.

While the situation cooled down subsequently, Zelensky has often expressed his frustration at America pushing Ukraine to concede Donbas in its entirety to Russia, in order to provide security guarantees.

Incidentally, this has also been Russia's demand to end the war in Ukraine. However, Ukraine has ruled out any compromise on the territorial front.

In May earlier this year, Zelensky urged Trump and the US Congress to supply more Patriot interceptor missiles as well as other air defence systems, warning that deliveries to his country are falling dangerously short.

There was a brief ray of hope in July, though, as Trump told Zelensky on the sidelines of the NATO summit that he would permit Ukraine to get a licence to manufacture Patriot missiles. Later though, the US President backtracked and said that he was unsure of this idea.

According to reports, Trump declined Zelensky's request to provide hundreds of additional interceptor missiles, citing limited stockpiles and the need to protect US military facilities in West Asia and its allies in the region.

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On his part, though, Zelensky has hinted at the possibility of meeting Trump after September 20 to try to secure US air defence support, as Russia has intensified its missile and drone attacks.

In response to Russia's attack on Kyiv's petrol stations earlier in the day, Zelensky announced Ukrainian strikes on a refinery in Syzran city and drone production facilities at other locations in Russia.

While Russia welcomed the US proposal for a moratorium on attacks on energy infrastructure, it demanded sanctions on its energy supplies be lifted. Moscow also made it clear that it will not stop fighting in Ukraine even if talks take place.

With Ukraine and Russia still at odds over key issues, it remains to be seen whether America's effort to revive trilateral talks will bear fruit.