Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he feels betrayed by President Trump in the wake of the US deal to buy Russian fuel from Moscow, which was announced last week.
Zelensky went on a newly aired episode of Piers Morgan's show, and he was asked point blank by the British show host if he had been "betrayed" by the Trump administration, to which Zelensky answered, "Really, Yes." Russian media was quick to seize on the increasingly open schism between Trump and Zelensky...
"It’s a pity that we are losing a strong partner," the Ukrainian leader told Morgan on Wednesday.
"This is our country, our body, our home, our children… That's why it’s painful when Trump chooses one side," Zelensky at one point also stated.
"If you’re in the middle, you have to stay in the middle. Not on the wrong side," said Zelensky. "This is not the right side of history." Here, Zelensky seemed to suggest Trump is actually more on the Kremlin side of things at this point.
The interview also came amid reports that the US is throttling intelligence-sharing with Kiev. The White House has thus far neither confirmed nor denied the allegations.
But Zelensky has himself for the past two night of Russian airstrikes made a point to publicize that Western partners have not provided the typical early warning notices of inbound missiles that were available in prior such attacks.
There's been another apparently 'betrayal' (in Zelensky's assessment) by the White House of late: reports say that SpaceX has imposed a movement-speed restriction on certain Starlink terminals used in Ukraine.
This has deeply impacted Ukraine's military, which is greatly reliant on Starlink for rapid battlefield communications and functions. Zelensky used the Piers Morgan appears to plead that it be 'switched on'.
"People will die, of course, if attacks will continue and if Starlink will not work… it’s not helpful," he continued.
The Ukrainian leader expressed home the limitation was merely a "mistake," suggesting it could "maybe a huge technical problem" at SpaceX.
Overall, Zelensky's message was that Ukraine is 'losing' American support and that he feels betrayed not only be Trump, but by Elon Musk too.
Musk has directly chimed in on the controversy, clarifying "Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government" - and so ultimately it's the US government, not SpaceX, behind whatever cut happened that impacted Ukraine.
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Full episode: President Zelensky 'BETRAYED' By Trump & Elon Musk