President Donald Trump stated on Saturday that Ukraine requires a new president, accusing Volodymyr Zelenskyy of failing to bring an end to the ongoing conflict with Russia. Speaking to reporters as he departed the White House for a trip to Tennessee, Trump suggested that the current Ukrainian leadership has not been effective in securing a deal.
“I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal … for some reason (Zelenskyy) never does,” Trump said. He further claimed that the war, which began in 2022, was the result of incompetence and asserted that it would never have started had he been in office. Trump pointed to the significant territorial losses and high casualty figures as evidence that the conflict was unnecessary and mismanaged.
In a move that drew sharp criticism from Kyiv, Trump also blamed Ukraine’s recent military strikes on Russian oil refineries for driving up diesel prices in the United States. The comments came just hours after Trump announced a new agreement under which Russia would supply large quantities of diesel fuel to the global market. According to the announcement, Russia will immediately provide over 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by 500,000 tons in November and an additional million tons shortly after. Trump wrote on Truth Social that Russia would subsequently deliver three million tons of diesel fuel within a short period.
The Treasury Department confirmed on Friday that it would issue temporary waivers on sanctions for Russia’s energy sector to facilitate the diesel supply. This decision stands in stark contrast to a comprehensive sanctions law Trump signed just last month, which was designed to curb the oil and gas revenues that finance Russia’s war effort.
Zelenskyy responded strongly to the development, warning that the deal would effectively bankroll Moscow’s war machine. In a detailed online statement, he argued that the agreement would allow Russia to prolong the conflict, increase its aggression, and diminish its respect for America. He stated that Russia would repay the gesture with “further terror and perfidy.”
Residents in Kyiv expressed a mix of anger and resignation upon learning of the deal. Oleksandr Petrenko, a 26-year-old resident, told CBS News that Trump had revealed his true priorities, caring more about fuel prices and American voters than the destruction in Ukraine. “He’s got an election coming up soon,” Petrenko said, suggesting the move was a political maneuver to lower gas prices for midterm elections.
As these diplomatic tensions unfolded, Russian forces continued their military campaign. Officials reported that at least 20 people, including three children, were killed and 18 others wounded after aerial bombs struck residential buildings in the Zaporizhzhia region on Saturday. Additionally, missiles hit parts of Kyiv during a daytime attack, wounding four people, according to Mayor Vitalii Klitschko.
Zelenskyy highlighted the irony of the timing on social media, noting that Russia had dropped glide bombs on residential areas on the same day the sanctions on diesel exports were lifted. He emphasized that Moscow interprets any easing of pressure as an opportunity to continue bombing cities, calling for different signals to be sent.
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Sounds like a classic election move to lower gas prices, ignoring the human cost entirely.
Zelenskyy’s response was strong. The irony of sanctions lifting right after civilian attacks is terrifying.
I can’t believe he’s blaming Ukraine for US fuel prices while supplying Russia. What is happening?
Buying diesel from the country bombing your ally? This deal makes zero strategic sense.