President Donald Trump called on Saturday for Ukraine to replace President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a day after announcing a deal to ease sanctions on Russian diesel exports.
Trump Says Ukraine Needs New President
“I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal because he could have made many deals, but for some reason, he never does,” Trump said to reporters at the White House, according to a Reuters report. “I think it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president.”
Trump made the comment one day after he announced the deal. On Saturday, Russia said it had partially lifted its ban on diesel exports. The change took effect immediately.
Trump’s remarks also follow strong criticism of the deal from Zelenskyy.
Zelenskyy said Russia had responded to the sanctions relief by dropping five glide bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia. The strike killed 20 people, including three children.
It was the third mass-casualty attack on Ukraine this week. Nearly 80 civilians were killed in strikes on Wednesday and Thursday.
Trump Warns Ukraine to Stop Strikes on Russian Oil Refineries
Trump also criticized Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries. He said the attacks have pushed up global prices. “He better damn well stop,” Trump said.
Kyiv wants all energy strikes by both sides to end. In September, it said it was ready to halt strikes on Russian territory if allies could secure a genuine Russian commitment not to hit Ukraine’s critical infrastructure.
Russian state news agency TASS reported Saturday, citing a source, that U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner may travel to Moscow within two weeks.
Trump announced the deal while Ukrainian, European and U.S. officials were meeting in Miami on Friday. Zelenskyy said the news surprised Kyiv.
After a call with Trump on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said peace talks were unlikely to resume right away. He pointed to Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow.
The U.S. has imposed extensive sanctions on Russia’s energy sector since the invasion of Ukraine, including major measures against Russian oil companies in October 2025 aimed at limiting Moscow’s ability to finance the war. Treasury’s latest license temporarily authorizes certain transactions involving Russian-origin diesel through April 7, 2027, amid rising energy costs.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the arrangement a “deal with the devil” on X.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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