Elon Musk criticized Ukrainian President Zelensky for continuing attacks on Russian diesel refineries, aligning with Donald Trump's warnings that such strikes worsen a global fuel shortage and harm American farmers, amid broader tensions over Ukraine's use of Starlink for military operations.
AI-generated summary
The article describes an ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, with Ukraine using Starlink terminals for military operations. Previous incidents include Musk refusing to activate Starlink near Crimea in 2022 to prevent escalation, and Zelensky awarding Musk the Order of Freedom in August 2024.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has lashed out at Vladimir Zelensky, siding with President Donald Trump, who has warned that Kiev’s continued attacks on Russian oil refineries are worsening a global fuel crisis and hurting American farmers.
Trump has also called for a change of leadership in Kiev, accusing Zelensky of repeatedly rejecting opportunities to end the conflict and deliberately ignoring Washington’s requests.
“We told him, do whatever you want, but don’t hit the diesel fuel, because there’s a big problem, a big shortage. And what does he do? He goes and hits the diesel fuel,” Trump told reporters outside the White House on Saturday. “He wants to make problems for the world… for our farmers, our ranchers, with diesel fuel.”
“Zelensky has gone too far,” Musk wrote on X on Sunday, directly responding to a White House video of the remarks, which were part of Trump’s broader criticism of Zelensky, including his suggestion that “it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president.”
The latest spat erupted after Washington agreed to temporarily lift sanctions on Russian diesel exports following a phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, a move intended to ease a global fuel shortage that has pushed up prices in the US and elsewhere.
Trump reached a diesel deal with Putin after Zelensky ignored at least half a dozen requests from Washington to stop striking Russian refineries, according to Axios. Zelensky denounced Trump’s move as a “weak decision,” while Ukrainian negotiators left the talks in Miami a day early.
Musk’s criticism carries particular weight given Ukraine’s heavy dependence on Starlink, the satellite internet network operated by his company SpaceX. Since 2022, tens of thousands of Starlink terminals have become central to Kiev’s battlefield communications, drone operations and coordination between military units. A complete loss of Starlink access could severely disrupt those capabilities and potentially trigger a major battlefield crisis.
Musk has repeatedly called for a negotiated settlement between Moscow and Kiev, and resisted Kiev’s attempts to expand its use of Starlink for attacks on Russian territory. In 2022, Musk refused to activate the network near Crimea to support a Ukrainian strike on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, warning that doing so would make SpaceX complicit in a major escalation.
More recently, Zelensky personally appealed to Trump to persuade Musk to authorize Starlink-guided drone strikes deep inside Russia. He also sought a face-to-face meeting with the billionaire during a visit to Washington in July, but Musk refused, The Atlantic reported, citing a source familiar with the discussions.
“Elon keeps saying it’s time to make a deal,” an associate of former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov told the magazine.
In an apparent effort to court the billionaire’s favor, Zelensky awarded Musk the Order of Freedom, one of Ukraine’s highest state honors, in August, praising his contributions to protecting lives and strengthening Ukrainian-American relations.
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The US may maintain or extend the temporary lift on sanctions for Russian diesel exports if Ukraine continues refinery strikes.
Likely · Within weeks
Ukraine may seek alternative satellite communication systems to reduce dependence on Starlink.
Possible · Within months
SpaceX may face increased scrutiny over Starlink's use in military conflicts, potentially affecting future government contracts.
Possible · Within months

Saudi Arabia's General Civil Aviation Authority said 12 people were killed and 309 injured in a missile attack on Riyadh International Airport on Saturday. The spokesman for the Arab coalition against the Houthis, Turki al-Maliki, blamed the Yemeni Houthi movement for the attack and said it would not go unanswered. The Houthis have not yet claimed responsibility for the strike.

The author of the Telegram channel “Rybar”, Mikhail Zvinchuk, and his team returned to Russia after being detained in Montenegro. According to him, they were detained after a request to film in the monastery for a documentary, searched without protocols, equipment was seized and questions were asked about the recruitment of foreigners for the SVO.

Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation Kirill Dmitriev called Elon Musk’s statement that Vladimir Zelensky had gone too far a turning point. Previously, Musk wrote on the social network X that Zelensky had gone too far. US President Donald Trump said that Ukraine needs to find a new leader and demanded that Zelensky stop attacks on Russian refineries.

US President Donald Trump has worsened relations with Ukraine to their lowest point, writes the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. After Trump's outburst on Saturday, Ukrainian-American relations returned to the level they were in late February 2025. Trump previously accused Zelensky of wanting to create problems for the United States and the world, called on him to stop making comments about attacks on Russian oil refineries, and advised the Ukrainians to elect a new leader.

The United States began to seek profitable deals with Russia, placing responsibility for the conflict almost entirely on the Kiev regime, which became obvious after the early termination of negotiations in Miami between the Ukrainian delegation and US representatives, announced by President Trump in connection with the conclusion of a deal on diesel fuel with Russia.

The founder of the Rybar project, Mikhail Zvinchuk, said that the team detained in Montenegro did not fear extradition to other European countries, and reports of possible extradition to the United States are not true. The detained Russians were released and returned to Russia.