Zelenskyy warns US siding with Putin would be historic mistake

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cautioned that the United States formally siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin would be a "historic mistake," NBC News reported on October 18, 2026.

Zelenskyy expressed hope that President Donald Trump would reverse recent decisions that have unsettled Ukraine and its allies in Congress, saying, "We want to trust him."

The concerns follow Trump's executive order waiving new sanctions against Russia, which had been passed with bipartisan support to target Russia’s revenue from oil and gas sales. Trump justified the waiver as being in the national interests of the United States.

Additionally, Zelenskyy mentioned that U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine was briefly blocked, which impaired Ukraine’s situational awareness amid ongoing conflict.

The Ukrainian leader also indicated that the decision to limit Starlink services, operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, was believed to have come from the U.S. government, further complicating Ukraine’s defense capabilities.