Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Oct. 18 about efforts to end the war and Ukraine’s air defense needs, as Kiev and Washington remained divided over strikes on Russian oil infrastructure.
Zelensky said they reviewed recent talks between Ukrainian and American teams in Miami and were preparing their next diplomatic steps.
“A great deal depends on America’s position here. Ukraine remains ready to work constructively, honestly, and for real results,” he said.
Trump has demanded that Ukraine halt attacks on Russian refineries and waived new sanctions against Moscow. Zelensky has said Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities continued despite an energy ceasefire announced by the U.S. president.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended Washington’s approach in an Oct. 18 interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” accusing European allies of helping finance Russia’s war through continued purchases of Russian goods.
Bessent put U.S. imports from Russia at $4 billion and said European purchases were more than 10 times higher. He also said European allies had rejected his request to join Washington in imposing tariffs on China and India over their purchases of Russian energy.
“So why should the U.S. bear the burden?” he asked.
Bessent also questioned why European NATO members were not supplying Ukraine with more Patriot air defense systems.
Zelensky separately told Bloomberg that Washington was delaying deliveries of Patriot interceptor missiles already paid for through a NATO-coordinated purchasing program. He said he had proposed suspending attacks on Russian diesel infrastructure in exchange for additional missiles to protect Ukrainian facilities.
The exchanges coincided with further attacks on both sides. Ukrainian drones struck an oil terminal and a fuel depot in St. Petersburg early on Oct. 18, causing fires, Russian officials said. Russian technology company VK said its data center in the neighboring Leningrad region was also targeted.
Russian officials reported one person killed and nine injured in and around St. Petersburg. Zelensky said Russian overnight strikes on Ukraine killed two people and injured 12, while attacks on energy facilities left tens of thousands of households without power.
Further Russian missile strikes hit Kiev late on Oct. 18 and early on Oct. 19. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that a woman was killed in the first attack. Debris from the subsequent strike damaged metro infrastructure and a residential building, prompting the temporary closure of two stations.
