Trump: Ukraine Needs New Leader Who Can Make Deal With Russia
US President Donald Trump has called for Ukraine to elect a new president, accusing Volodymyr Zelensky of repeatedly missing opportunities to negotiate an end to Russia’s war against the country.
Trump made the remarks at the White House on Saturday, also demanding that Zelensky stop attacking Russian oil refineries, which he said could affect global diesel supplies and raise fuel costs for American farmers.
“I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal because he could have made many deals, but for some reason he never does,” Trump told reporters.
His comments followed a diesel supply agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin that reportedly involved a partial easing of restrictions on Russian diesel exports.
Zelensky criticised the move, arguing that easing pressure on Moscow would encourage further attacks rather than bring peace.
He cited a Russian strike on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, saying Moscow had responded to the easing of restrictions with fresh attacks. The reported strike killed 20 people, including three children.
Trump maintained that Zelensky had ignored several opportunities to end the conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The diesel agreement has also faced criticism from some US lawmakers, who have argued that Washington should increase sanctions on Russia instead of easing restrictions.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged to strengthen Britain’s sanctions against Russia following a conversation with Zelensky, according to a Downing Street spokesperson.
Efforts to find a negotiated settlement continued after talks involving Ukrainian, European and US officials in Miami on Friday. Putin, however, reportedly indicated that an immediate resumption of peace talks was unlikely.
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