Zelensky Feels Betrayed as Trump Buys Russian Diesel and Starlink Slows

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 14 that he feels betrayed by President Donald Trump, after Trump announced a deal on Oct. 9 to purchase diesel from Russia and said Zelensky should be replaced as Ukraine's leader.

Asked directly whether he felt betrayed, Zelensky answered: "Really, yes... but it's a little bit more complicated than just my emotions or my feelings." He told Piers Morgan that Ukraine is "losing a strong partner" and that "it's painful when President Trump chooses one side, not our side." He added that Trump is free to stay in the middle, but "if you're in the middle, you have to stay in the middle. Not on the wrong side."

The same day, Ukraine confirmed that its access to Starlink terminals has been severely restricted, hampering combat operations. Zelensky called the throttling a "big mistake" and warned that "people will die" without restoration. He framed the restriction as a betrayal by Trump, pointing to consequences for drone strikes and air defenses. The sources do not say who ordered or authorized the restriction, or whether it is reversible.

Zelensky also told the Financial Times that Ukraine will resume strikes on Russian oil refineries. "The block is out. We're done," he said.

Taken together, the two developments point in one direction: Washington is applying pressure on Kyiv from the diplomatic side and the battlefield side at once. The diesel deal gives Moscow an economic opening while the U.S. president publicly questions Ukraine's leadership. The Starlink restriction removes, at least temporarily, a communications layer Ukrainian forces rely on for drone missions and air defense.

That combination tests whether the U.S. can remain a credible mediator in the Russia-Ukraine war while doing energy business with Moscow and constraining Ukraine's military communications. It also narrows Kyiv's options. If refinery strikes resume, Ukraine is choosing escalation on a front it had been blocked from hitting — a decision that could change U.S. policy, the diesel deal, or both.

What remains unknown is as important as what is confirmed. The specific terms of the diesel deal that prompted Zelensky's betrayal claim have not been detailed. No source has identified who authorized the Starlink restriction. And there is no public indication yet of how European allies are responding to the pressure on Kyiv.