U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Ukraine's renewed strikes on Russian oil refineries, calling them a “disgrace.”
Trump linked the Ukrainian attacks to high global energy prices and said strikes on oil refining facilities were damaging the world market.
Ukraine resumed attacks on Russian oil infrastructure on October 15 after President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv no longer intended to observe an understanding on mutually refraining from strikes against energy facilities. Ukrainian authorities accused Russia of continuing to attack Ukraine's energy system.
Reuters noted that a substantial rise in oil prices also followed the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran and disruptions to supplies through the Middle East.
Trump's comments marked another sign of disagreements between Washington and Kyiv over the conduct of the war. At the same time, European Union leaders publicly expressed support for Zelensky at a summit on October 16.