Russia’s war on Ukraine ‘must be brought to an end’, Zelenskyy says
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that the war with Russia 'must be brought to an end' as his country prepares for diplomatic steps, amid significant fallout with US President Donald Trump who waived sanctions on Russia's energy economy.
Zelenskyy's comments come amid a significant diplomatic fallout with Trump, who on Friday night waived sanctions targeting Russia's energy economy. The Ukrainian leader wrote on social media that he had a 'conversation with the American president's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner', adding that 'a lot depends' on the US position.
The Trump administration had already eased restrictions on Russian fuel imports on October 9, announcing a deal for Russia to supply more than 300,000 metric tonnes of diesel to US and global markets. The US Treasury temporarily authorised the imports despite existing sanctions, prompting criticism that the move could provide Moscow with revenue to sustain its war in Ukraine.
Trump has also criticized recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure as 'a disgrace'. Despite this, Zelenskyy said his team is in 'virtually nonstop communication' with their US counterparts, with dialogue focusing on the results of talks in Florida and further steps.
US tech restrictions on Ukraine
Zelenskyy expressed gratitude that the US had resumed intelligence sharing with Ukraine after a pause left the country particularly vulnerable to Russia's regular ballistic missile attacks. 'It was blocked for some period of time. And then it was deblocked by the American side,' he told NBC, adding that only the US has the unique intelligence to detect Russian ballistic missile launches.
Only [the] United States has this unique intelligence to tell our side when Russia uses ballistic missiles. And we didn't get it during ballistic attacks during three days.
Ukraine has also reported restrictions on Starshield, a military-grade version of Elon Musk's Starlink satellite connectivity network. The country said its relays were experiencing speed limits that made it difficult to intercept Russia's upgraded jet-powered long-range drones. Musk claimed any restrictions were the responsibility of the US government, a position quickly rebuffed by the White House.
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