Trump's Comeback: Needs Zelensky's Help the Least

[Text/Observer Network Liu Bai]

Recently, Ukrainian President Zelensky has been quite high-profile, repeatedly claiming that the U.S. and other countries are interested in seeking Ukraine’s help to defend against drone threats.

However, U.S. President Trump hasn’t been very accommodating.

In a phone interview with NBC on March 14, Trump bluntly dismissed Zelensky, saying he’s more difficult to deal with than Russian President Putin, and refused Zelensky’s proposal to help the U.S. defend against Iranian drones—“The last thing we need is Zelensky’s help.”

To address the rising global oil prices, the U.S. Treasury announced on the 12th that countries will be allowed to purchase Russian crude oil and petroleum products currently being shipped at sea within about a month.

When asked why sanctions on Russian oil were temporarily eased amid soaring global oil prices, Trump said, “I want the world to have oil available. I want oil.”

He added that these sanctions, imposed after the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out, “will be restored once the crisis ends.”

When asked about criticisms from some foreign leaders regarding the easing of sanctions, Trump did not respond directly but turned his anger toward Zelensky.

“I’m surprised Zelensky doesn’t want to negotiate. Tell Zelensky to negotiate because Putin is willing to talk.”

“Zelensky is harder to deal with,” Trump expressed dissatisfaction.

On March 5, Zelensky revealed that the U.S. had requested Ukraine’s help to defend Gulf allies from Iranian drone attacks. He ordered the provision of expert support and hoped to exchange this for Patriot missile defense aid. Five days later, Zelensky revisited the issue, stating that 11 countries had approached Ukraine with drone technology requests, and Ukraine had sent expert teams to the Gulf region.

Ukrainian President Zelensky

However, facing Zelensky’s “warm face,” Trump was very indifferent: “We don’t need help.”

“The last thing we need is Zelensky’s help,” Trump added.

So far, no Gulf countries have publicly responded to Ukraine’s offer of assistance. On the 12th, Zelensky met with Romanian President in Bucharest, signing a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on producing Ukraine’s defense systems, including drones, in Romania.

According to RIA Novosti on the 14th, Iran’s Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Chairman Ebrahim Azizi stated that, given Ukraine’s assistance to Israel, Ukraine has become a legitimate target for Iran’s strikes.

Azizi posted on social media that Ukraine’s support related to drones for Israel has effectively involved it in the war, making its entire territory a legitimate target for Iranian attacks.

Regarding how to view Russia sharing U.S. military location intelligence with Iran, Trump said on a program, “Russia might be providing information, or maybe not.”

He stated that the U.S. is also “doing this against Russia” because “we will provide some information to Ukraine and are working to promote peace negotiations between the two countries.”

In 2024, Trump repeatedly criticized President Biden over high oil prices, but in this interview, he dismissed concerns that rising U.S. oil prices could impact the upcoming Republican midterm elections.

“I think oil prices will fall below previous levels. During my term, oil prices hit historic lows,” Trump said, promising that oil prices would quickly drop after the Iran conflict ends.

According to GasBuddy, a petroleum price tracking website, on March 1, the day after the U.S. and Israel began invading Iran, the average U.S. gasoline price was $2.94 per gallon, but by the 14th, it had risen to $3.66.

“Oil and natural gas reserves are very abundant; it’s just temporarily blocked, and will soon resume,” Trump tried to justify.

When directly asked whether oil prices would affect the midterm elections, Trump said, “I’m not worried at all.”

“The only thing I want is to ensure Iran can never be the ‘bully’ of the Middle East again,” he added.

Trump said he was surprised by attacks on U.S. allies in the Middle East, including the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. He believed these countries “performed very well” but were “unprovokedly attacked.”

“I’m very surprised,” Trump said when discussing Iran’s attacks on other Middle Eastern countries, calling it “the most surprising part of the whole thing.”

Trump stated that several countries had pledged to help secure the Strait of Hormuz but refused to specify which ones.

“They not only promised to participate but also thought it was a good idea,” he said.

Earlier on the 14th, Trump posted on the “Real Social” platform that many countries would send warships with the U.S. to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.

In a phone interview, Trump said he was unsure whether Iran had laid mines in the strait.

“We will vigorously clear the strait, and believe other affected countries, even those whose oil shipments are blocked, will join us,” he said.

When asked whether the U.S. Navy would start escorting passing ships, Trump was vague: “I don’t want to reveal that… but it might happen.”

Trump also confirmed that U.S. forces struck Iran’s energy export hub, Kharg Island.

The U.S. Central Command announced on the morning of the 14th that it had carried out “precision strikes” against 90 military targets on the island, while “protecting oil infrastructure.”

“We completely destroyed Kharg Island, and may strike it a few more times just for fun,” Trump added. “We’ve destroyed it entirely. But as you know, I didn’t target the energy pipelines because rebuilding those facilities would take years.”

This article is an exclusive report by Observer Network. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.