Trump Urges Ukraine to Replace Its President, Criticizes Zelenskyy Over Strikes on Russian Energy Sites

U.S. President Donald Trump said on October 10 that Ukraine should replace President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with a new leader, sharply criticizing Kyiv's strikes on Russian oil refineries — a move he said has helped push diesel prices higher ahead of U.S. midterm elections.

Speaking at the White House, Trump said: "I suggest they find a new leader who can make a deal," adding that "for some reason [Zelenskyy] never can."

According to Trump, under Zelenskyy, Ukraine "has lost 30% of its territory and more than one million, more than two million people have been killed on both sides. That was a war that should never have started. And I think it's time Ukraine needs a new president."

Shortly after those remarks, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga spoke out in defense of Zelenskyy. In a post on X, Sybiga said: "He has the support of the Ukrainian people, and they have the right to decide. Statements from abroad only confirm that he is doing his job well. He deserves support."

A day earlier, Trump announced a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to buy diesel from Russia in order to cool fuel prices before the midterms. He has spent weeks calling on Zelenskyy to halt strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, while seeking to blame Ukraine for record-high U.S. diesel prices rather than the U.S.-led war in Iran — the factor that pushed global energy prices higher.

Trump also suggested that if he had been U.S. president in 2022, "that war would never have started." He said: "There was no reason for the war between Ukraine and Russia to start. It started because of incompetence."

Trump's remarks came a few hours after Russian strikes killed at least 20 people in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, according to Ukrainian officials. Russia and Ukraine are bogged down in a long-range aerial war, while ground forces are nearly deadlocked along the front line, more than four and a half years after Moscow launched its full-scale military campaign. Ukraine is struggling to cope with escalating Russian bombardments that have killed at least 60 people over the past four days.

Outrage in Kyiv over diesel deal

On October 10, Trump said he had reached a deal to buy diesel from Russia — a move that completely reverses the pressure Washington has maintained on Moscow for years over the war in Ukraine. He said Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by another 500,000 tons in November and one million tons "soon after." Russia would deliver an additional three million tons "shortly" after that, he added.

The move drew a fierce response from Zelenskyy. After the Russian strikes on October 10, he wrote on X: "Today, Russia expressed its thanks for the lifting of sanctions on diesel exports by dropping five glide bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia."

Zelenskyy said the attacks showed Moscow understood that "any easing of pressure means they can keep fighting, keep bombing cities."

According to the Ukrainian leader, every billion dollars Russia earns in extra export revenue helps pay for weapons components, drone upgrades, missile production and the recruitment of mercenaries, and Moscow will only be willing to stop when its ability to fight weakens.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine is coordinating steps to counter Russia's extra revenue, and that he had spoken with French President Emmanuel Macron about strengthening air defenses, warning of the risk of increased missile attacks in the coming days. He also said he had discussed developments with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and that Ukraine would receive ammunition in the coming days for the F-16s used to intercept Shahed drones.

Ukraine's European allies expressed concern over the deal with Russia and said they remained committed to sanctions. Trump's announcement stands in complete contrast to the comprehensive Russia sanctions law he signed last month, aimed at tightening the oil and gas revenues that fund the war against Ukraine.

Trump announced the deal while special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner met Ukrainian officials in Miami on October 10 to discuss proposals to end the war.