US President Donald Trump has called for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to be replaced, accusing him of obstructing a peace deal with Russia amid growing controversy over Washington’s decision to ease restrictions on Russian diesel exports.
Trump made the remarks on Saturday after Zelensky criticised the US decision, warning that allowing more Russian diesel onto global markets could provide Moscow with additional revenue to sustain its war against Ukraine. The dispute comes as Trump faces mounting pressure over rising fuel prices ahead of next month’s US midterm elections, with his Republican Party facing difficult electoral prospects partly because of increasing energy costs.
Trump defended the decision after announcing on Friday that he had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin and agreed to allow large quantities of Russian diesel to enter global markets. He maintained that Putin was strongly interested in reaching a settlement to end the war but accused Zelensky of repeatedly blocking opportunities for an agreement.
The US president also alleged that Zelensky had ignored instructions not to attack Russian oil refineries, arguing that such strikes could worsen fuel shortages linked to the US-Israeli war against Iran. Responding to Zelensky’s criticism of the diesel decision, Trump said, “He better damn well stop.”
He subsequently called for a change in Ukraine’s leadership, saying, “I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal, because he could have made many deals that, for some reason, he never does.”
Trump later reiterated his position, claiming that Russia was willing to negotiate while Zelensky was preventing an agreement. “Russia would like to make a deal… but for whatever reason, Zelensky does not want to make a deal,” he told reporters.
“President Putin would like to see a settlement, strongly,” Trump added.
The US president also criticised Zelensky for not holding an election since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. “I think he should have an election and he could have settled this thing many times,” Trump said.
The comments drew further attention to the growing disagreement between Washington and Kyiv over how to end the war and whether easing restrictions on Russian exports would help or undermine diplomatic efforts.
European allies have backed Zelensky, with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warning that lifting sanctions on Russian diesel would only help sustain Moscow’s military campaign.
“This is not the time to ease pressure on Russia, and Europe won’t,” Kallas wrote online.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham also reaffirmed his “complete solidarity” with Zelensky during a telephone conversation. Downing Street said Burnham had pledged that Britain would “strengthen its sanctions on Russia”.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha similarly defended his president, insisting that Zelensky retained the support of his people and that Ukraine’s leadership should be determined by Ukrainians themselves.
“He has the support of the Ukrainian people, and they have the right to decide,” Sybiha said in a post on X.
The political dispute unfolded as Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least 21 people, including children, according to Ukrainian authorities.
On Saturday, a Russian glide bomb attack on the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia killed 20 people, including three children, Ukraine’s state rescue service reported.
Zelensky linked the attack to Washington’s decision to ease restrictions on Russian diesel exports, accusing Moscow of responding to the move with further violence.
“Today, Russia expressed its thanks for the lifting of sanctions on diesel exports by dropping five glide bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia,” Zelensky wrote on X.
An AFP correspondent at the scene reported seeing rescue workers pulling survivors and bodies from the rubble of damaged buildings. Rescuer Daniil Pishkin described the devastating scene, saying people had been trapped beneath the debris.
“We saw people under the rubble — a woman, her husband and a child,” Pishkin said.
He reported that two people had been rescued alive but that a young girl had died.
“Unfortunately there was a little girl who died,” he added.
A 69-year-old resident identified as Iryna said she managed to shelter in her bathroom after receiving an air-raid alert. However, two of her neighbours were killed in the attack.
“They were 75 years old. They were simply thrown out there, onto the street. They didn’t make it to the hospital,” she said.
In a separate incident, a Russian drone attack in the central Dnipropetrovsk region killed an 11-year-old boy, according to regional officials. Russian strikes also triggered widespread power cuts in Kyiv, further disrupting life in the Ukrainian capital.
Russia’s Defence Ministry, meanwhile, said its forces had struck a “data center” used by Ukraine’s military.
The dispute over Russian diesel exports emerged as American, Ukrainian and European officials met in Miami for renewed diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict. Ukraine’s delegation was heading home on Saturday, according to an aide to Zelensky.
US envoy Steve Witkoff said the discussions involved representatives from the E3, the European Commission, Ukraine and NATO. He described the talks as “constructive”, saying participants had focused on ways to reduce hostilities, bring the war to an end before winter and advance efforts towards a lasting peace agreement.
In a post on X, Witkoff said the talks aimed to “de-escalate and conclude the war with Russia ahead of winter and advance efforts toward a durable and lasting peace.”
The Kremlin also confirmed on Saturday that Trump had conveyed his ideas for reducing the intensity of the war to Putin during their telephone conversation on Friday.
According to the Kremlin, Putin received the proposals “with understanding”, although officials did not provide further details about their contents or indicate whether Moscow had agreed to specific measures.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and currently occupies roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.
With disagreements over sanctions, military operations and the terms of a potential peace settlement continuing, Trump’s call for Zelensky’s replacement has added another layer of tension to efforts to end the war.
Source: AFP
