Trump accuses Zelensky of sabotaging peace talks with Russia

Donald Trump accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of not wanting to end the war with Russia, stating "I want this war to end" on his Truth Social platform on October 18, 2026, amid rising tensions between Washington and Kiev. Trump justified his recent pro-Moscow decisions, including exempting Russia from new sanctions and allowing U.S. imports of Russian diesel, as necessary to keep Russia at the negotiating table. He linked Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries to rising global diesel prices affecting American consumers. The U.S. president's remarks come ahead of midterm elections, with fuel prices a key issue. Zelensky expressed gratitude for resumed U.S. intelligence sharing after a three-day pause, while Trump claimed working with Zelensky is harder than with Putin.