Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected US President Donald Trump’s call for him to be replaced, insisting that the decision on who leads Ukraine belongs to its citizens. However, he said the country could organise elections if Russia agreed to a complete 60-day ceasefire.
Zelensky made the remarks on Sunday during a televised interview with ABC News, amid renewed tensions between the two leaders over the war and Washington’s decision to temporarily ease sanctions on Russian oil.
The disagreement intensified on Friday after Trump announced that he would waive sanctions on a large quantity of Russian diesel to help lower fuel prices ahead of the November US midterm elections.
On Saturday, Trump criticised Zelensky over Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil refineries, arguing that the strikes had contributed to rising diesel prices. He also called for the Ukrainian leader to be replaced by someone willing to reach an agreement to end the war.
Responding to Trump’s comments, Zelensky maintained that Ukrainians must determine their country’s political leadership.
“First of all, with all respect to President Trump, it’s up to our society, up to our people to choose one or another leader,” Zelensky told ABC News.
The Ukrainian president also said he had told Trump’s team that Kyiv could organise elections if Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to suspend hostilities for two months.
Zelensky’s proposal would allow Ukraine to hold its first elections since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
“If they really want Ukraine to hold elections, please tell Putin to give us two months, 60 days of total ceasefire, 60 days, and we will organise elections,” he said.
Zelensky Calls for Continued US and European Support
Trump’s decision to temporarily waive sanctions on Russian oil has attracted criticism from Ukraine, several European allies of the United States and some members of his own Republican Party.
Amid the growing disagreement, Zelensky stressed the importance of maintaining American support for Ukraine and expressed hope that the dispute would not weaken cooperation among Kyiv’s allies.
“To stop Putin — and I think this is the main goal, to stop him, this is the main deal, to stop this war … we count on American support,” he told ABC News.
“Then, and of course, we count on our European partners, and I hope that we will save this unity, Europe and the United States,” he added, acknowledging that maintaining such cooperation was “really not simple.”
Zelensky also reiterated that Ukraine remained willing to agree to a ceasefire, including an arrangement limited to energy infrastructure, provided Russia was prepared to do the same.
However, he argued that Russia’s latest attacks demonstrated that Moscow was not facing sufficient pressure to bring the conflict to an end.
Russia’s heavy bombardment during the week had shown that it did not “feel real pressure” to end the war, he said.
“This week was very difficult for us, not only geopolitically. First of all, because of massive attacks, Russian attacks on our civilian infrastructure,” Zelensky added.
Source: AFP
