Trump says 'courageous' Zelenskyy 'doing pretty well' in war with Russia

Donald Trump praised “courageous” Volodymyr Zelenskyy as he said the Ukrainian president was “doing pretty well” in the war against Russia.

The US president's comments came after Ukrainian forces destroyed a key railway bridge in Crimea, as it seeks to isolate the Russian-occupied peninsula.

Sky News US correspondent Mark Stone asked Mr Trump if he thought Mr Zelenskyy was winning during a White House meeting with NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte on Wednesday.

"He's doing pretty well, no matter how you look at it, he's holding his own at least. A lot of people dying on both sides, but I think he's doing pretty well," he said.

"Look, you have to say he's courageous, he's got great equipment, but he's got great men, he's got fighters".

Meanwhile, the leaders of the "E5" - Germany, France, Italy, Poland and the UK - committed their further support for Ukraine at a meeting in Berlin on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "There are clear signs that as Russian losses mount and their economy struggles, the mood in Moscow is turning against Putin's war.

"So this is a really important moment to ramp up the pressure on their economy with more sanctions and providing Ukraine with more military support."

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced a new almost £290m package to bolster Ukraine's recovery and energy security as she attends the Ukraine Recovery Conference with Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy in Gdansk, Poland on Thursday.

"The UK stands firmly with Ukraine, not only in its fight for freedom today, but in ensuring it has the strength to rebuild for the future - that is essential for the long-term deterrence of Russian aggression," she said.

Ukraine's latest attacks came as it was reported one of Russia's most significant oil refineries is unlikely to resume production for six months after being hit by Ukrainian drones.

Ukrainian forces also struck a major natural gas processing plant and two key satellite communications centres in Russia overnight, military chiefs said on Wednesday.

The operation was part of Ukraine's aerial campaign targeting energy facilities and military industries that has intensified as Kyiv builds bigger and better long-range weapons to ward off Russia's full-scale invasion - which is now in its fifth year.

In response, Moscow has ordered the redeployment of some air defence systems from Russian regions to the capital and Crimea's Kerch Bridge - a crucial link for supplying Russian troops, Mr Zelenskyy said.

He also told reporters communications equipment Ukraine said was being used to help drone strikes from Belarusian territory had stopped operating, days after he warned Belarusia's President Lukashenko to disable them.

"It is important that as many Russians as possible come to understand that it is the Russian leadership's rejection of diplomacy that is prolonging the war," he said on X.

Mr Zelenskyy has accepted an unconditional ceasefire demanded by Mr Trump but Russian President Vladimir Putin has refused.

But he said Russia was ready for peace talks with Ukraine after strikes on its infrastructure led to fuel shortages.

Ukraine's attacks on oil refineries have doubled since the start of 2026.

(c) Sky News 2026: Trump says 'courageous' Zelenskyy 'doing pretty well' in war with Russia