Zelensky ends strike pause as US support tensions escalate

Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Thursday that Ukraine would resume striking Russian energy infrastructure, ending a three-day pause he had agreed to at the request of the United States. The decision came after Russia continued its own bombardment of Ukrainian power plants and cities, leaving hundreds of thousands without electricity. "We're done," Zelensky told the Financial Times, signaling an end to restraint that had lasted since Sunday, when US President Donald Trump announced what he called an "energy ceasefire" between the two warring nations.

The timing of Zelensky's announcement coincided with Russian claims that Ukraine had attempted to hit an oil refinery south of Moscow early Thursday morning. Moscow's defence ministry said it had intercepted four missiles and dozens of drones, with falling debris causing a fire at the Ryazan site. Ukraine did not confirm the attack. Russia also accused Ukraine of striking refineries on Wednesday, which Kyiv denied. The cycle of claim and counterclaim underscored the breakdown in the pause that had lasted just seventy-two hours.

Behind Zelensky's decision lay a more troubling dispute with Washington. The Ukrainian president told the Financial Times that US officials had explicitly threatened to block intelligence-sharing if Ukraine did not stop the energy strikes. This intelligence—early-warning alerts of incoming Russian aerial attacks—is fundamental to Ukraine's air defence. Without it, Russian missiles and drones reach their targets far more easily. Separately, Starlink's military service Starshield, which Ukraine uses to guide drones and coordinate defences, experienced sudden restrictions on Tuesday evening. Elon Musk, Starlink's owner, suggested the Trump administration was responsible. Zelensky told the Financial Times flatly: "It was not a technical problem, it was the will." By Thursday, some functionality had been restored, though it remained unclear whether all restrictions had been fully lifted. The Trump administration denied halting intelligence-sharing, and the BBC said it had approached US authorities for comment.

Zelensky's frustration with Washington ran deeper than the immediate dispute over energy strikes. He told interviewer Piers Morgan on Wednesday night that he felt betrayed by the US, a sentiment that reflected weeks of tension between the Ukrainian president and Trump. The American leader had suggested during a recent Oval Office meeting that Zelensky himself was the main obstacle to a peace deal. Now, with the US appearing to withdraw key support, Zelensky accused Trump of having an affinity for autocratic leaders like Putin. He also criticized a deal Trump had struck with Russia the previous week to release 300,000 tonnes of diesel to the US and global marketplace—a move Zelensky characterized as the US effectively investing in Russia's war effort. The diesel deal was part of Trump's effort to lower fuel prices ahead of midterm elections, after months of political damage from the Iran war's impact on energy costs.

Meanwhile, the human toll of the conflict continued to mount. On Wednesday alone, at least thirteen people were killed across Ukraine in what Zelensky described as a "constant," large-scale Russian attack. More than 850 drones had been launched at dozens of cities and communities. The central region of Kirovohrad suffered its worst attack since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022, with nearly 360 drones deployed over a ten-hour period and at least three people killed. Deaths were also reported in Donetsk, Kherson, and Volyn. In a separate incident, seven people went missing after a drone attack set a chemical tanker on fire off the coast of Romania. Moscow claimed it had struck two cargo ships carrying military supplies bound for Ukraine's Odesa port.

European leaders rallied behind Zelensky in the face of US pressure. Italy's Defence Minister Guido Crosetto told the BBC that restricting intelligence-sharing with Kyiv would be a "complete mistake," describing it as a fundamental form of support that denies Ukraine any realistic chance of defending itself. He argued that Putin would only agree to peace if convinced of a stalemate—that he could not advance further. If the United States withdrew its resources, Crosetto warned, Putin would see weakness and believe he could win, prolonging the war indefinitely. NATO chief Mark Rutte met with Zelensky as a two-day summit of European leaders began in Brussels on Thursday, discussing both the importance of an energy ceasefire and NATO allies' continued backing for Ukraine.

Zelensky had previously said he would accept Trump's proposed energy ceasefire if Russia did the same. But he accused Moscow of abandoning the deal within hours of its announcement, with strikes continuing to devastate Ukrainian infrastructure. The Kremlin never formally agreed to the arrangement. Now, Zelensky told the Financial Times, he would only halt strikes on Russian oil refineries—which Ukraine views as vital to cutting off revenue for Russia's war machine—if the US supplied additional Patriot air defence missiles. Ukraine had faced a shortage of these American-made systems since the outbreak of the Iran war consumed existing stockpiles. The Ukrainian president's defiant tone marked a shift from his recent diplomatic caution. He told the newspaper it was not his responsibility to repair US-Ukrainian relations: "We didn't destroy any relationship." With Russia continuing to escalate attacks and the US appearing to weaponize its support, Zelensky suggested the timing was no coincidence. "It is clear that Russia deliberately escalated these attacks, taking advantage of the easing of sanctions and seeing attempts to pressure Ukraine," he wrote on social media.