Trump-Zelenskyy relations hit new low with Starlink row unresolved

• Zelenskyy says Ukraine's military’s access to the Starlink satellite internet service has not yet been fully restored, following accusations of "betrayal" by the White House. READ MORE BELOW.

• Donald Trump signs executive order to halt sweeping sanctions targeting Russia. READ MORE BELOW.

• Putin: Russia is building non-negotiable 'security zone' in Ukraine along border. READ MORE BELOW.

• Russia builds massive drone launch base in six weeks, satellite images show.

• Russia accuses Ukraine of attacking an oil refinery after four missiles and dozens of drones were intercepted, with falling debris causing a fire at the site in Ryazan.

• Ukraine targets ‘Russia’s Google’, striking three of Russian tech giant Yandex's five data center as internet access becomes the new front line.

• Zelenskyy meets European leaders on Friday in Brussels, asking for a further €70bn ($79bn) next year to fund Ukrainian defense.

Trump halts sanctions on Russia

On Friday night, Trump signed an executive order suspending a sweeping package of sanctions and tariffs on Russia. 

The move comes a month after the act was signed into law, and two days before the penalties were due to take effect. 

Trump cited national interest in the waiver, which comes amid a growing row with Ukraine and a week after a controversial diesel deal with Moscow was announced. 

The legislation, named for the late Republican senator Lindsey Graham, had authorised penalties against Russia, major buyers of its energy exports, financial institutions and sanctions-evasion networks. 

Trump's order leaves in place existing sanctions imposed under earlier executive orders. But the decision has drawn substantial backlash both at home and abroad. 

Twelve senators, six of them Republicans, have urged Trump to reverse the diesel arrangement and enforce the sanctions. 

Zelenskyy said on Saturday that lifting the sanctions was “wrong” and only helps Putin.

Moscow welcomed the move, with Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev calling it a “significant and truly historic moment,” saying the package could have brought US-Russia economic cooperation to a standstill. 

Fuel prices and domestic politics also remain part of the backdrop behind the waiver. US diesel prices have risen almost 70 per cent since the Iran war began in February, and the midterm elections are less than three weeks away, with the cost of living a top issue for voters.

Zelenskyy slams White House 'betrayal' as Starlink services remain affected

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his military's access to SpaceX's Starlink services remains partial after access to the satellite internet service was disrupted earlier this week. 

Ukrainian forces use Starlink's military-grade counterpart Starshield to detect and disrupt Russian drones. On Tuesday night, the military reported the Starlink satellite communications system was failing to work on terminals moving at speeds greater than 100mph (160km/h). 

Speaking at a press conference in Brussels on Friday, Zelenskyy said that while the speed of the service was being fixed, drone defenses and frontline supplies were still affected, with restrictions preventing Ukrainian forces from intercepting Russian jet-powered Shahed drones.

The effective shutdown of many of Elon Musk's Starlink services in Ukraine follows a dramatic downturn in relations between Zelenskyy and US president Donald Trump. 

At the center of the strain is a new diesel deal between Russia and the US, which would see Trump buying up 300,000 tonnes of diesel, followed by 500,000 tonnes in November and a further one million after that.

Zelenskyy was quick to slam the deal, saying it would only fuel the war raging between the two countries, where the targeting of energy sites is quickly becoming the new front line. 

As the tensions continue to boil, Trump publicly called Zelenskyy a “disgrace” over Ukraine's continued energy strikes against Russian refineries, which could impact Moscow's ability to complete its part of the diesel deal.

After being described as “not a good guy for us to deal with,” Zelenskyy appeared to hit back with his own thinly-veiled response. Arriving at an EU summit in Belgium on Friday, he thanked the 27-nation bloc for its support from what he said were “real leaders”.

Furthermore, the matter of who actually issued the order to limit Ukraine's access to Starlink's military services is yet to be fully resolved. 

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on Wednesday that any decisions to restrict Starlink’s Starshield are ultimately made by the US military, and as such, the president. 

However the White House has denied meddling in Ukrainian access, with Trump insisting it “wasn’t me, and it wasn’t Elon, as I understand.” 

British media has since reported that Musk had himself suggested the restriction to Trump, reportedly floating the idea of speed limits during the row over the energy ceasefire.

Putin: We are building a non-negotiable 'security zone' along Ukrainian border

On Friday, Putin said Russia is establishing a “security zone” inside Ukraine along the shared border and will not put it on the table in any future talks with Kyiv. 

Speaking in a televised address in military uniform, Putin linked the operation to Ukraine’s 2024-25 incursion into Russia’s Kursk region. The Russian leader has talked about such a zone before, but had not set out its extent or said it would be off-limits for negotiations. 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the planned zone spans 660 km, of which 70 per cent is already under Russian control. 

Creating it would mean seizing land in Sumy and Kharkiv, regions Moscow has not officially claimed as its own since the 2022 invasion.