Trump Advisor Accuses Zelensky of Harming US Through Strikes on Russian Oil Refineries
Political consultant and digital communications advisor to US President Donald Trump, Alex Bruesewitz, publicly criticized Volodymyr Zelensky, accusing him of acting against the interests of the American president and US citizens. The statement came amid increasingly active accusations from MAGA supporters linking Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries to Republican electoral troubles.
Bruesewitz published the post on October 11 on social network X, responding to a message from American conservative activist Laura Loomer.
The Trump advisor claimed that Zelensky allegedly called the American president weak, and Ukrainian military continued attacking Russian refineries immediately after Washington announced an agreement with Moscow.
"Let's stop pretending he is a good ally", wrote Bruesewitz.
He also asked Loomer, if she continues communicating with him, to tell Zelensky to stop undermining Trump's positions and harming Americans with his actions.
At the same time, Bruesewitz's claim that Zelensky called Trump weak does not accurately reflect the Ukrainian president's words. On October 9, Zelensky criticized the US-Russia agreement on diesel fuel, calling it a "weak decision by strong partners." He was assessing a specific policy decision, not Trump's personal qualities.
The trigger for Bruesewitz's response was Loomer's post. She had previously visited Ukraine and interviewed Zelensky at Mariinskyi Palace. She said the Ukrainian president expressed readiness to hold elections after the cessation of Russian attacks, spoke positively about Trump, and emphasized the desire to reach a peace deal. At the same time, according to her, such an agreement cannot include Ukraine's unconditional surrender to Russia.
Bruesewitz's criticism is part of a broader wave of accusations against Ukraine among MAGA supporters. As Ukrainian journalist in the US Ostap Yarysh noted, the conservative information space is spreading claims that Zelensky is deliberately continuing to attack Russian refineries to raise fuel prices in the US and worsen Republican positions before the November 3 midterm elections to Congress.
Specifically, Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy accused Zelensky of complicating Trump's electoral standing. Influential conservative blogger Jack Posobiec called for cutting intelligence sharing and financial aid to Ukraine, and Republican Senator Mike Lee claimed that the Ukrainian president is allegedly helping Democrats in the run-up to the elections.
These politicians and commentators have provided no evidence that Ukraine plans strikes on Russian refineries to influence US elections.
According to Yarysh, the accusations could be an attempt to shift responsibility onto Ukraine for high fuel prices, which have become a problem for the Republican Party. The journalist suggests that such rhetoric will intensify ahead of the vote.
Meanwhile, there is no unified position on Ukraine among Trump supporters. Notably, Loomer, after her visit to Kyiv, is voicing support for Ukrainian resistance and criticizing Washington's decision to allow the supply of Russian energy resources.
Recall, on October 9, Trump announced an agreement with Vladimir Putin on the supply of Russian diesel fuel and easing of related sanctions. Two days later, the American president announced an allegedly reached energy truce between Russia and Ukraine. However, Moscow did not confirm the agreement, and Zelensky emphasized that Kyiv is ready to stop strikes on Russian energy infrastructure only if Russia takes reciprocal actions.
Based on materials from: Alex Bruesewitz on X, Ostap Yarysh, Axios