Donald Trump says he told Zelensky "Don’t hit the refineries" amid Ukraine drone campaign dispute
“We said, ‘You can do whatever you want to Russia. Don’t hit the refineries because that’s a world problem,’”
Reported October 11, 2026 by ynetnews.com. Checked word for word against that report.
President Donald Trump on Saturday escalated a dispute with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, saying Ukraine needed different leadership after Zelensky criticized a U.S.-announced arrangement allowing Russia to export diesel while some sanctions are lifted. Trump said Zelensky had disregarded his requests to end Ukraine’s drone campaign against Russian oil facilities, which Trump linked to higher global diesel prices and harm to U.S. farmers and ranchers. The arrangement, announced after Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, aimed to lower fuel costs before U.S. midterm elections. Ukrainian attacks had contributed to Russian fuel shortages and higher diesel prices. Trump’s remarks followed Russian strikes reported to have killed 20 people in Zaporizhzhia. Zelensky has not responded. The clash revives earlier tensions between the two leaders.
- ynetnews.com ↗︎11 OCT 2026