Tuesday, October 20, 2026 - US President Donald Trump has sharply criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after Ukrainian forces launched a major drone attack against energy infrastructure in Saint Petersburg, defying White House requests to halt strikes on Russian oil facilities.
Writing on Truth Social, Trump expressed concern that deep
strikes into Russian territory could disrupt peace negotiations
He stated that he does not want to drive Moscow away from
the bargaining table and accused Zelensky of resisting efforts to conclude the
war.
The diplomatic rift expanded after Trump signed an executive
order waiving Congressional economic sanctions against Russia.
Speaking on NBC's Meet the Press, Zelensky warned that
waiving sanctions would strengthen Moscow's war effort and described potential
US alignment with Russia as a "historic mistake".
Overnight, Ukrainian long-range drones struck the Saint
Petersburg Oil Terminal, a major Baltic export hub with a capacity exceeding 12
million tons annually, causing significant fires at the site and surrounding
logistics centers.
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported intercepting over 1,000
drones across multiple regions. Despite the escalating friction, Zelensky
confirmed ongoing contact with US presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared
Kushner to discuss diplomatic frameworks, maintaining that Kyiv remains
committed to pursuing a sustainable peace agreement.
Meanwhile, diplomatic officials in Washington and Moscow
acknowledged preliminary discussions regarding a potential trilateral meeting
between Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
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