President Donald Trump on Saturday called for Ukraine to replace President Volodymyr Zelensky with a leader willing to negotiate a peace deal with Russia, accusing Zelensky of repeatedly passing up opportunities to end the war.
“You know what I suggest? I suggest they get a new leader who could make a deal because he could’ve made many deals and for some reason he never does… I think it’s time for Ukraine to get a new President,” Trump told reporters as he departed the White House.
.@POTUS on Ukraine: "You know what I suggest? I suggest they get a new leader who could make a deal because he could've made many deals and for some reason he never does… I think it's time for Ukraine to get a new President." https://t.co/pyBAmq9E7o pic.twitter.com/WoVG0HUazA
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 10, 2026
Trump also criticized Zelensky for ordering strikes on Russian refineries and diesel facilities, saying the United States had warned Ukraine against targeting energy infrastructure because of the potential consequences for global fuel markets.
“We told Zelensky, ‘You can do whatever you want to Russia, but don’t hit the refineries because that’s a world problem.’ And what does he do? He goes and hits the diesel fuel. He better damn well stop,” Trump said.
The remarks came a day after Trump announced an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to supply hundreds of thousands of tons of diesel to the United States and global markets. The Treasury Department also issued a temporary license allowing certain Russian diesel exports despite existing sanctions, with the exemption set to expire April 7.
Zelensky condemned the arrangement, arguing that additional energy revenues would help Russia finance its war against Ukraine. He also accused the administration of using Ukrainian negotiators engaged in talks in Florida as a “smokescreen” while negotiating separately with Moscow to help lower fuel prices for Americans.
Trump, who has repeatedly argued that the war “should have never started,” said Zelensky had failed to capitalize on opportunities to negotiate an end to the fighting. The White House Rapid Response account circulated video of the president’s remarks on social media.
Ukrainian officials have defended attacks on Russian energy facilities, arguing that oil and fuel revenues help finance Moscow’s military operations. Both countries have continued striking energy and transportation infrastructure as diplomatic efforts to end the war remain stalled.
Trump’s latest criticism adds to tensions between Washington and Kyiv more than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
