"This looks like an incitement to surrender": Zelensky criticized Trump's policy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the recent actions of Donald Trump's administration resemble an attempt to urge Kyiv to surrender in the war against Russia. He accused the US of deliberately restricting Starshield communications and delaying the delivery of missiles for Patriot systems. Washington, however, denies that the communication restrictions were introduced intentionally.
"This looks like an incitement to surrender": Zelenskyy criticized Trump's policy
According to DW, Zelenskyy said this in an interview with Bloomberg on October 18.
The Ukrainian leader stated that "dangerous days" for Kyiv had begun ahead of the midterm elections to the US Congress to be held on November 3. According to him, political tensions have intensified during the pre-election period, and he hopes that the situation will soften after the voting.
According to Zelenskyy's claim, the US deliberately restricted the operation of Starshield — the military services package of Starlink used by Ukraine. In addition, deliveries of interceptor missiles intended for Patriot air defense systems are also being delayed.
He stated that in recent negotiations with the Trump administration, he proposed providing Patriot missiles to protect Ukrainian facilities in exchange for stopping strikes on diesel fuel production facilities in Russia.
According to Zelenskyy, the US side only wants the attacks on diesel production to stop. The President of Ukraine expressed concern that if the strikes continue, access to other capabilities could also be restricted.
"I believe steps have been taken to persuade Ukraine to surrender," Zelenskyy said. However, he refrained from calling this a clear goal of the United States.
"I am not saying our partners are aiming for this. I don't want our American partners to think that the war can be ended quickly at Ukraine's expense. But that is how it looks," he emphasized.
ZELENSKYY also assessed Trump's relationship with Vladimir Putin as good, but said it has not yet led to an end to the war.
According to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, restrictions on Starshield's operation appeared on the night of October 14, complicating the operation of unmanned systems and logistics. On October 15, the ministry reported that the system's operation had been restored in field conditions.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on October 17 rejected claims that Washington deliberately restricted communications. Trump also previously stated that he did not give such an instruction, adding that he did not think Elon Musk did so either.