Donald Trump says dealing with Zelensky is "more difficult to deal with" than Putin

In early October, President Donald Trump issued an order postponing several provisions of a congressional sanctions package aimed at Russia, arguing it served American interests, which sparked criticism from lawmakers and heightened friction with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The tension followed a controversial U.S. agreement to purchase Russian diesel and accusations that Washington was scaling back military aid to Kyiv. During the dispute, Trump remarked that dealing with Zelensky presented greater challenges than negotiating with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a comment that prompted Zelensky to label Trump and other leaders as genuine statesmen at an EU gathering. The episode underscores the political stakes of U.S. sanctions policy, energy‑price pressures ahead of the midterm elections, and the strained U.S.–Ukraine partnership.