Zelensky says Trump’s Russia moves left him feeling betrayed, warns Ukraine is losing a strong U.S. partner

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he felt betrayed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent approach to Russia, including the Russian diesel agreement and Trump’s stance on the energy ceasefire.

Asked by Piers Morgan whether he felt betrayed, Zelensky replied, “Really, yes,” while adding that the issue was more complicated than his personal feelings. “It’s a pity we are losing a strong partner,” he said.

“It’s painful when President Trump chooses one side, not our side,” Zelensky said. He added that Ukraine had no objection to Trump positioning himself between Kyiv and Moscow as a mediator, but said, “If you are in the middle, you have to stay in the middle.”

Zelensky said Ukraine could not compromise its sovereignty or treat the war as a business negotiation. “We are not selling our country,” he said. “It’s not about business for us, it’s just our life and this is our country.”

He also criticized some of Trump’s advisers, saying they were pushing the president in the wrong direction and describing that course as “not the right side of history.”

Trump agreed last week to ease restrictions on Russian diesel exports and later announced an energy ceasefire. Kyiv has said it observed the pause in strikes on Russian energy facilities while accusing Moscow of continuing attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.