15.10.2026

Donald Trump is increasingly openly linking support for Ukraine to Kyiv’s willingness to accept terms of ending the war that suit Washington, and most importantly, Russia. Threats to limit intelligence sharing, the supply of American weapons, and even access to Starlink complement agreements with Moscow on Russian diesel fuel. As the authoritative publication The Atlantic writes, the White House’s decisions may be based not so much on a desire to bring down fuel prices as on an attempt to force Ukraine to make concessions to Russia.

Recent events demonstrate that we no longer have an abstract diplomatic dispute. After another Russian strike on Kyiv, the Ukrainian side stated that it did not receive advance warning from its partners about a ballistic attack. Information has emerged that the operation of Starlink terminals has also been limited, which has led to the loss of the possibility of conducting certain operations on the front. At the same time, Trump denies that intelligence sharing has been stopped.

Moscow, meanwhile, gains room for maneuver. The Kremlin can earn on fuel sales, continue military operations, and use the differences between Kyiv and Washington in its own interests. At the same time, Trump’s economic promises have not yet had an obvious result: diesel prices in the US remain high, and additional Russian supplies are unlikely to change the situation. At the same time, the agreement has already caused dissatisfaction among some Republicans, who are demanding the return of sanctions pressure on Russia.

In this situation, a special mission falls to Europe, which is trying to minimize the American U-turn. London, Berlin and Paris are in favor of maintaining or strengthening sanctions, while Brussels is preparing new restrictions against the Russian economy. However, the main question remains open: will European allies be able to compensate for a possible reduction in American aid and convince Trump that concessions to Putin do not bring peace closer, but give the Kremlin additional resources to continue the war?

Ukrainian diplomat and politician Roman Bezsmertny shared his thoughts on these and other issues in an exclusive interview with OBOZ.UA.

– Everyone remembers the slogan “Peace through strength”. Trump was supposed to reach an agreement with Putin from a position of strength, but now the opposite scenario is emerging – American strength is working in favor of Russia. During the latest Russian attacks, there were problems with operational response. There are reports of Starlink restrictions, which could have disrupted operations using Shahed interceptors. The diesel fuel agreement also raises questions. Is this an attempt to force Ukraine to surrender?

– I can definitely say that Trump is now on Putin’s side. Moreover, I even agree with the idea that if Putin were to ask Trump for weapons now, he could provide them. It is obvious to me that in the current situation Trump is directing all his efforts to pressure Ukraine to force it to capitulate. This is how I assess the situation. In essence, Trump and the Kremlin are acting in collusion against Ukraine.

The gist of their agreement is that Moscow continues to attack, and the US limits the provision of information about Russian strikes. This is a key point, because intelligence is crucial. We cannot detect the launch of ballistic missiles in time and, as a result, we are late in responding.

The second factor is the limitations of the Starlink system, in particular its power and speed. There are enough technical parameters with which it is possible to limit Ukraine’s capabilities, in particular during retaliatory operations against Russia. In my opinion, this is a direct instruction from Trump to Elon Musk to limit SpaceX’s capabilities. This is how it should be perceived.

This package also includes demands for Zelensky’s resignation from the post of President of Ukraine, holding elections, etc. I can say unequivocally: if Ukraine shudders now, Europe will also crumble. In about three months, we may find ourselves in a completely different geopolitical reality, where no one will talk about Ukrainian statehood. The European Union may disappear from the political map, and Europe will simply be torn apart between Putin and Trump. Therefore, it is extremely important to understand now: there is nothing more to talk about with Trump and Washington in the hope of changing their position. He has already made up his mind and can only increase the pressure. I declare with absolute responsibility: the only direction in which we need to focus our efforts is Europe.

– Is there any way to change this situation on the American side?

– If Ukraine maintains contacts, it is necessary to work with Trump’s Republican entourage, the Democrats, and send a clear signal that Ukraine will not back down from its position. Ukrainian society needs to rally around Zelensky. Under no circumstances should the president’s resignation be allowed. There can also be no question of holding elections under the current conditions.

An important component of all our actions is the preservation of human lives. We need to change work modes where possible, transfer people to remote work, look for ways to protect the population and safely accommodate people. Despite statements about the possible cessation of the transfer of intelligence data, I have at my disposal, for example, a schedule of what and how will happen over the next three to four days. It is obvious that Moscow will continue to attack, and Trump will continue to put pressure.

It is extremely important to take several steps now, but the main direction should be work with Europe. This should also be accompanied by the initiation of appropriate procedures in the UN and the Security Council. We should not give in to emotions – we need to go through all the formal diplomatic procedures to convey to the world our assessment of the situation and the allegations of a possible conspiracy between Trump and Putin, the purpose of which is the actual division of Ukraine.

– We are already used to Russia’s actions, but what happened on the American side? Is this an impromptu or is it a planned operation on both sides? On the one hand, they are leaving us without support, and on the other, they are intensifying the attacks.

– The current situation is a consequence of the August-September trips of Kushner and Witkoff. After the trip to Moscow on the 5th, Dmitriev made a long visit to Washington. At that time, a scenario was being played out according to which Trump was to act on Putin’s side before the elections in the Russian Federation, since the elections were approaching and certain processes needed to be completed. After that, Putin was to play on Trump’s side until the elections.

First, they staged a whole show with meetings in Florida, where they invited Ukrainians, Europeans, and UN representatives. They expected Ukraine to flinch and agree to the proposed conditions. But Ukraine did not flinch, and it was absolutely the right decision. Then the scenario designed for the period until November 3 began to collapse, and Trump began to show increasing irritation.

The essence of his current actions is one thing – to force Ukraine to capitulate by any means necessary, so that he can exit this process as a peacemaker before the elections. We are talking about November 3. This cannot be allowed in any case, because it will be a disaster not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians, but also for Europe.

I urge anyone who wants to understand the scale of the threat to watch Donald Tusk’s speech at the Warsaw Security Forum. President Zelenskyy spoke first, and then Tusk. I also advise you to watch the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the European Union in Luxembourg. The speeches conveyed an important idea: Ukraine needs not just to provide as much assistance as possible, but to provide it with everything it needs so that it can inflict a decisive defeat on Russia. After this diesel deal, the world, in my opinion, finally saw in which direction the situation is developing. This deal does not solve any fundamental problem. What are 300 thousand tons of diesel fuel?

– That’s just a few hours of operation for American gas stations.

– Absolutely correct. It’s about half a day – and that’s it. Besides, it’s only about diesel fuel. For me, this was a signal of a possible conspiracy. And then, as always, Trump doesn’t have strong cards, while they ended up in the hands of President Zelensky. This is exactly what I explain Trump’s rage and hatred for Zelensky. I’ve already seen similar situations when Moscow attacks the president, and it’s difficult for society to understand what’s happening. Therefore, I emphasize once again: now we can’t give in either to the elections or to Zelensky’s resignation. We need to stand our ground, protect people, and start systematic work with Europe.

– Senators from both parties are criticizing Trump. How tangible can this pressure be? In addition, the diesel deal, as the Republicans themselves note, has put them at a disadvantage in front of American voters. It is difficult for them to explain to voters why they would conclude such an agreement if there is no economic effect, and the negative political consequences of cooperation with the Putin regime are obvious.

– Regarding this diesel deal, Trump has already realized that he is in trouble. I think everyone paid attention to the question that was asked to him: is he going to import fuel from Russia? To which he replied that Russia does not supply fuel directly to the United States, but sells it on the world market. Trump, apparently, realized that he made a mistake with these millions of tons of Russian diesel. He began to back down. And what did he have left? The only argument was Ukraine.

There were two possible scenarios here. Either Trump forces Ukraine to capitulate, which will turn Republicans and Democrats even more against him, or he applies the Lindsey Graham Act and then is forced to act against Putin. For now, he has chosen his path. He is interested in Russian billions, the assets of Lukoil and Nord Stream.

– So, breaking Ukraine is the main goal today, so that he can finally be actively friends with Putin and make money? Is this his main agenda today?

– To break Ukraine in order to move further towards Russian assets and European energy resources. After that, he will put pressure on Europe. Because he is interested in Russian gas and the ability to control energy flows, in particular Nord Stream. What is happening will become a stain that will be difficult for the United States to survive. I don’t even know how the country will be able to exist after such decisions. American society has not yet fully realized what Trump has brought the United States to. It is not just about six dollars per gallon of diesel fuel. This is only the upper limit of how far the situation has gone. In fact, the United States is losing its position as a hegemonic state in the world. This is a sign of the completion of a certain stage of its global influence. Therefore, now we cannot fall into hysterics. We need to protect people, stand up to this situation, and carefully work out all further steps together with European partners. If Ukraine holds out and the Democrats win the elections on November 3, they, together with the Republicans, can achieve Trump’s removal from power.

– We already see certain restrictions on American cooperation. Will pressure on Ukraine increase? For example, regarding weapons that the States sells to Europeans for Ukraine, or will they find other directions.

– First, Trump will try to put pressure, but he will do it in a way that does not demonstrate his actions directly. An example is the current uncertainty with the work of Starlink and the transmission of intelligence data on ballistic missiles. Formally, no one is stopping anything. Pay attention: at first the President of Ukraine reports that there was no information, and later he announces its restoration. Such fluctuations will continue, because Trump does not want to openly demonstrate pressure, although he is his tool. And we should not expect that he will suddenly change his position.

As for weapons, in many cases Ukraine does not have direct contracts with the United States. If we talk about interceptor missiles, then the corresponding contracts were concluded with European countries. The Europeans transferred weapons to Ukraine, and the United States was later supposed to produce a replacement for European arsenals. This system continues to operate according to this principle.

– Why did Greece and Spain slow down the process?

– Having heard the statements from Washington, they understand that they will transfer the missiles to Ukraine, but they do not know when they will receive a replacement. Currently, the United States does not have sufficient production capacity to promptly provide them with the necessary number of missiles. At the same time, Greece and Spain need somewhere to put the existing missiles, the expiration date of which, according to available information, expires in April. Therefore, they will most likely transfer them to Ukraine.

The situation is different with the F-16 and Patriot systems, for which there are direct contracts or agreements on maintenance and replacement of individual components after a certain number of launches. I do not exclude that Trump will block such processes. However, in this case he risks losing leverage, because Ukraine may reorient itself towards French and Italian weapons systems. This can be put to an end: in such a situation, Trump’s position will look unattractive.

Secondly, in the coming days, much will depend on the behavior of Congress, in particular the Republicans in the Senate. I hope that the joint activity of Democrats and Republicans will increase the pressure on Trump. His defeat in the elections on November 3 already seems quite likely. But it is not only the result itself that is important, but also the scale of the defeat. He could create the prerequisites for impeachment or at least secure enough votes in Congress to overcome a presidential veto. These are fundamentally different scenarios. However, Trump’s political perspective is already emerging quite clearly.

– If Ukraine hypothetically stops striking Russian oil refineries, as Trump wants, can the situation stabilize? Or is this just an excuse, after which the next demand will appear?

– No. All this talk about an energy truce, and then about the territories of the Donetsk region, distracts from Russia’s true intentions. Putin is interested not only in Ukraine, but also in the restoration of Russian influence in Central Europe. It is not for nothing that Donald Tusk speaks of Putin’s desire to return to the order that existed before 1989. Therefore, the situation cannot be perceived as a struggle only for individual territories. I read statements from those who call for dividing territories, running to Washington and kneeling. But any of our weakness can lead to the l

Let’s look at the situation on the front. Russia is increasing pressure, but its resources and capabilities to continue the war on the previous scale are limited. When a few months ago there were statements about the mobilization of 100 or 300 thousand people, the question arose whether the authors of these forecasts were aware of Russia’s real capabilities. Concessions to Moscow will not bring peace. On the contrary, they will endanger not only Ukraine, but also Europe. By acting in this direction, Trump risks harming the United States itself.

Therefore, the main thing now is not to give in to fear and protect people. All decisions, in particular regarding the work of schools, kindergartens and other institutions, must first of all take into account the safety of the population. Our task is to persevere. And finally, November 3 is a key date that can become decisive for our history.

– Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the British Prime Minister and King in London the day before. Why London and what to expect from this trip? Will the policy of the current US administration also be discussed?

– In my opinion, the president went to London not so much to meet with Andy Burnham, but especially to talk with King Charles. It is the British monarch who can help restore dialogue with Washington. If Marco Rubio can be involved in the process, it will be a serious step. Negotiations with Kushner and Witkoff, I believe, will no longer yield results. Therefore, London should become a platform for substantive talks with the participation of Rubio and European leaders. In my opinion, European leaders understand that Moscow is behind many destabilizing processes. Therefore, the rapprochement of Trump and Putin poses a threat to Ukraine, Europe, and the world.

– Does Europe have enough strength to confront Russia and increase aid to Ukraine?

– First of all, we need to ensure support for Ukraine over the next three months. Europe has the necessary resources, but they need to be mobilized. By the end of February, we especially need help in countering ballistic missiles.

The next important milestone is January, when the new US Congress convenes. Until then, it is necessary to ensure the stability of Ukraine and assess how the political situation in Washington will change. Intelligence data on ballistic threats and access to Starlink remain critically important. This explains the significance of the contacts between the former Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Mykhailo Fedorov, and Elon Musk. Ukraine needs to either find an alternative to Starlink or agree on continued cooperation. In my opinion, it is Fedorov who can conduct such negotiations.

https://www.obozrevatel.com/ukr/section-politics-news/news-ya-mayster-ukladannya-uhod-tramp-nazvav-baydena-vynnym-u-viyni-v-ukrayini-i-poyasnyv-chomu-ne-nazyvaye-putina-dyktatorom-15-10-2026.html