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Trump criticizes Zelensky and Ukraine’s resumed strikes on Russian refineries

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 11 outlets across the spectrum.

14 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Thick black smoke and flares rising from an industrial refinery at sunrise over residential buildings.
Image via NBC NewsHow images are chosenReport this image

Ukraine resumed strikes on Russian oil refineries after a short energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine broke down, according to reports. In a Thursday interview with Newsmax, President Donald Trump called the strikes a “disgrace” and said they would push up world oil prices. He also said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was “not a good guy for us to deal with” and was more difficult to deal with than Vladimir Putin. Zelensky said Ukraine was “done” honoring Trump’s request to hold off on energy strikes, according to the New York Post. Trump also said Zelensky was refusing to negotiate and that both sides would want the war to end.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Ukraine resumed strikes on Russian oil refineries after a short energy ceasefire broke down.

    Reported byLeft2Center1Right2Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The Guardian, NBC News
    Center
    The Hill
    Right
    Washington Examiner, New York Post
    Far Right
    Just the News, The Western Journal

  2. Trump called the strikes a “disgrace” in a Newsmax interview aired on Thursday.

    Reported byLeft2Right1Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The Guardian, NBC News
    Right
    New York Post
    Far Right
    Just the News, The Western Journal

  3. Trump said Zelensky is “not a good guy for us to deal with” and more difficult to deal with than Putin.

    Across the spectrumReported byFar Left1Left1Center2Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Daily Beast
    Left
    The Guardian
    Center
    BBC News, The Hill
    Far Right
    Just the News, The Western Journal

  4. Trump said the strikes were pushing up world oil prices.

    One side only: the rightReported byRight1Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Right
    New York Post
    Far Right
    Just the News, The Western Journal

  5. Trump said Zelensky is refusing to negotiate and that both sides want the war to end.

    One outletJust the News· Far Right

  6. Zelensky said Ukraine was “done” honoring Trump’s request to hold off on energy strikes.

    One outletNew York Post· Right

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • Trump is pressing Ukraine over fuel prices ahead of the midterm elections.

    NBC News describes the criticism as a campaign to pressure Ukraine over rising gas prices that could cost Republicans in the midterms. Trump told Newsmax the strikes were raising world oil prices and that Zelensky is hard to deal with, and did not mention the midterms.

  • Ukraine broke the energy ceasefire.

    The Guardian reports the ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine collapsed. The New York Post reports Zelensky said Ukraine was “done” honoring Trump’s demand to hold off on energy strikes. Trump said he had asked Zelensky to stop the strikes.

How each side tells it

Compare views

All three sides report that Trump criticized Zelensky in a Newsmax interview after Ukraine resumed strikes on Russian refineries. The main difference is emphasis: right outlets stress Trump’s oil-price argument, left outlets his pressure on Ukraine, and the Daily Beast his stance toward Putin.

  • the left

    3 outlets

    Left headlines report Trump calling Ukraine’s strikes a “disgrace” and criticizing Zelensky; the Far Left Daily Beast instead frames the story as Trump favoring Putin.

    Trump calls Ukraine’s resumption of strikes on Russian oil refineries a ‘disgrace’
    The GuardianLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    2 outlets

    Center headlines quote Trump’s criticism of Zelensky directly, with BBC pairing it with Zelensky’s push for EU support; neither headline uses the word disgrace.

    Trump: Zelensky 'not a good guy for us to deal with'
    The HillCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    6 outlets

    Right-side headlines lead with Trump’s personal attacks on Zelensky and his oil-price argument; Breitbart adds Obama-era Crimea blame, and Western Journal’s “Fed-Up” wording is more emotive than the mainstream Right.

    Trump condemns Ukranian attacks on Russian refineries, says he's "not a fan" of Zelensky
    Just the NewsFar RightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left6

    so-calledangrily accusedRussian tyrantmortal enemy

  • Center2

    hit back athit back

  • Right3

    lashed outattacksFed-Up

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded verb

    lashed outMore neutral: criticized

    The verb adds anger to what was a TV interview remark.

    President Trump lashed out at his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in a Thursday TV interview after…

    Used byNew York Post (Right)The Western Journal (Far Right)

  • Delegitimizing label

    so-calledMore neutral: energy ceasefire

    The word casts doubt on the ceasefire without stating evidence that it was not genuine.

    US president says Zelenskyy ‘more difficult to deal with than Putin’ after so-called energy ceasefire collapses Donald Trump has called Ukraine’s renewed strikes on…

    Used byThe Guardian (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    angrily accusedMore neutral: said

    Adds an emotional judgement to Zelenskyy’s statement that the reporting does not need to convey.

    President Volodymyr Zelenskyy angrily accused the U.S.

    Used byNBC News (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    attacksMore neutral: criticizes

    The headline turns a verbal criticism into an act of attack without giving the words quoted.

    Trump attacks Ukraine’s Zelensky after he says ‘we’re done’ with energy cease-fire: ‘That’s a…

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

Show 7 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Loaded verb

    hit back atMore neutral: said

    The phrase presents Trump’s remark as a retaliation, which adds a motive the reporting does not establish.

    President Trump hit back at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying he was “not a good guy for us to…

    Used byThe Hill (Center)

  • Loaded verb

    hit backMore neutral: responded or replied

    Combat framing for a reply.

    President Trump hit back at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying he was “not a good guy for us to…

    Used byThe Hill (Center)

  • Loaded modifier

    Fed-UpMore neutral: Trump

    “Fed-Up” attaches a mood to Trump before the story describes his remarks, so it presents his reaction as settled.

    Fed-Up Trump Labels Ukraine's Latest Move a 'Disgrace': 'Zelenskyy Is Not a Good Guy'

    Used byThe Western Journal (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    Russian tyrantMore neutral: Russian president

    “Tyrant” is a judgement of Putin that goes beyond describing his position as Russia’s president.

    …has praised Vladimir Putin while attacking the leader of the country that the Russian tyrant has spent more than four and a half years bombing.

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    mortal enemyMore neutral: adversary

    “Mortal enemy” is a characterization of Putin’s relationship with the United States that the article does not support with a source.

    The president says he prefers dealing with America’s mortal enemy over the ally it has invaded.

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Loaded verb

    Sucks Up toMore neutral: praises

    “Sucks up to” is an informal insult that presumes Trump’s motive, where the report only needs to say he praised Putin.

    Trump Sucks Up to Putin After Major Humiliation

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    Major HumiliationMore neutral: a setback

    “Major humiliation” asserts a dramatic loss for Trump that the article does not establish.

    Trump Sucks Up to Putin After Major Humiliation

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

3 outlets

Leads with

  • Trump’s “disgrace” remark on the strikes
  • Trump’s criticism of Zelensky
  • Pressure on Ukraine over fuel prices ahead of the midterms

Leaves out

  • Trump’s claim that Ukraine’s strikes raise world oil prices
  • Trump’s claim that Zelensky is refusing to negotiate

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 3 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • The Daily BeastFar Left

    Trump Loaded verb“Sucks Up to”“Sucks up to” is an informal insult that presumes Trump’s motive, where the report only needs to say he praised Putin.More neutral: praisesDisagree with this highlight? Putin After Sensational language“Major Humiliation”“Major humiliation” asserts a dramatic loss for Trump that the article does not establish.More neutral: a setbackDisagree with this highlight?

    Donald Trump has praised Vladimir Putin while attacking the leader of the country that the Loaded modifier“Russian tyrant”“Tyrant” is a judgement of Putin that goes beyond describing his position as Russia’s president.More neutral: Russian presidentDisagree with this highlight? has spent more than four and a half years bombing. …

    Read at The Daily Beast (opens in a new tab)
  • NBC NewsLeft

    Trump says Ukraine resuming strikes on Russian oil sites is a ‘disgrace’

    President Donald Trump has labeled Ukraine’s resumption of strikes on Russian oil refineries a “disgrace,” the latest salvo in his campaign to pressure the U.S. ally over rising gas prices that could cost Republicans in next month’s Midterm elections.

    Read at NBC News (opens in a new tab)
  • The GuardianLeft

    Trump calls Ukraine’s resumption of strikes on Russian oil refineries a ‘disgrace’

    US president says Zelenskyy ‘more difficult to deal with than Putin’ after Delegitimizing label“so-called”The word casts doubt on the ceasefire without stating evidence that it was not genuine.More neutral: energy ceasefireDisagree with this highlight? energy ceasefire collapses Donald Trump has called Ukraine’s renewed strikes on Russian oil refineries a “disgrace”, while renewing his criticism of Volodymyr ⁠Zelenskyy after an energy …

    Read at The Guardian (opens in a new tab)

From the center

2 outlets

Leads with

  • Trump’s remarks on Zelensky
  • Zelensky’s push for EU support
  • Ukraine resuming attacks on energy targets

Leaves out

  • Trump’s claim that the strikes raise world oil prices
  • Zelensky’s remark that Ukraine was “done” honoring the ceasefire

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 2 headlines from the centerHide the headlines

From the right

6 outlets

Leads with

  • Trump’s “disgrace” remark on the strikes
  • Higher world oil prices
  • Biden-era aid to Ukraine and the Crimea handover
  • Zelensky’s “done” remark on the ceasefire
See the 6 headlines from the rightHide the headlines

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    3 hr 22 min later

    Its first report, Oct 16, 2:02 AM EDT

  • Center

    6 hr 6 min later

    Its first report, Oct 16, 4:47 AM EDT

  • Right

    First to report

    Washington Examiner, Oct 15, 10:40 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. Washington ExaminerRightOct 15, 10:40 PM EDT
  2. The GuardianLeftOct 16, 2:02 AM EDT
  3. BBC NewsCenterOct 16, 4:47 AM EDT
  4. NBC NewsLeftOct 16, 5:37 AM EDT
  5. New York PostRightOct 16, 6:46 AM EDT
  6. Breitbart NewsFar RightOct 16, 7:18 AM EDT
  7. The HillCenterOct 16, 9:40 AM EDT
  8. The Western JournalFar RightOct 16, 9:51 AM EDT
  9. The Epoch TimesFar RightOct 16, 10:42 AM EDT
  10. The Daily BeastFar LeftOct 16, 11:27 AM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out. Just the News gave only a date, so it is not placed.

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