Trump Says Ukraine Needs New President After Zelenskyy Criticises US-Russia Diesel Deal

October 11, 2026

Washington: US President Donald Trump has said Ukraine needs a new president who can reach a deal to end the war with Russia, intensifying tensions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after he criticised a US-Russia agreement to supply Russian diesel to the American market.

Trump made the remarks on Saturday, October 10, while criticising Zelenskyy over Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil refineries. He suggested that the Ukrainian leader had failed to do enough to bring the war to an end.

“I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal because he could have made many deals and for some reason he never does,” Trump told reporters.

Trump also blamed Ukraine’s strikes on Russian energy infrastructure for contributing to high diesel prices in the United States, as fuel costs remain a concern ahead of the US midterm elections.

Trump Criticises Zelenskyy Over Russia-Ukraine War

Trump argued that Ukraine had suffered significant territorial and human losses during the conflict and said it was time for the country to choose new leadership.

He also claimed that the war could have been avoided had he been US president in 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The US president has repeatedly pressed Kyiv to avoid attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, arguing that such strikes affect global fuel supplies and prices.

Zelenskyy Opposes US-Russia Diesel Agreement

Trump’s comments came after Zelenskyy criticised a new agreement between Washington and Moscow allowing Russian diesel supplies to reach the United States.

Zelenskyy warned that allowing Russia to earn additional revenue from energy exports would provide Moscow with more resources to continue its war against Ukraine. He described the decision as an investment in a war that should be brought to an end.

Trump announced the agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin as a measure aimed at easing high fuel prices in the United States.

The deal has raised concerns in Kyiv over its potential impact on efforts to pressure Russia over the war. Ukraine has maintained that restrictions on Russian energy revenues are important to limiting Moscow’s ability to finance its military campaign.

Ukraine Defends Zelenskyy’s Leadership

Following Trump’s remarks, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha defended Zelenskyy, saying the Ukrainian president had the support of the country’s people and that they had the right to decide their leadership.

The latest exchange highlights growing differences between Washington and Kyiv over how to end the war, Ukraine’s military strategy and the role of Russian energy exports in international efforts to resolve the conflict.