Donald Trump has called for Ukraine to choose a new president, saying Volodymyr Zelenskyy had failed to do enough to end the war with Russia.
Speaking as he left the White House for Tennessee, the US president said: “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.”
Mr Trump also blamed recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries for pushing up diesel prices ahead of the US midterm elections. He said the attacks were creating difficulties for American farmers and ranchers.
“He wants to make problems for the world. He wants to make problems for our farmers, our ranchers, with diesel fuel,” Mr Trump said.
He added that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine would not have begun had he been president in 2022, describing the conflict as the result of “incompetence”.
Mr Trump claimed that Ukraine had lost 30 per cent of its territory and that more than two million people had been killed in the war. He said: “That’s a war that should have never started. And I think it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president.”
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andriy Sybiga, rejected the intervention and said Mr Zelenskyy retained the backing of the Ukrainian people.
“He has the support of the Ukrainian people, and they have the right to decide,” Mr Sybiga said. “Statements from abroad only confirm that he is doing his job well. He deserves support.”
Diesel deal draws condemnation from Kyiv
Mr Trump’s comments came after Mr Zelenskyy criticised a new agreement under which Russia will supply diesel, saying the arrangement would help finance Moscow’s war effort.
The deal is due to provide more than 300,000 tons of diesel immediately, followed by 500,000 tons in November and one million tons “immediately thereafter”, according to Mr Trump. He said a further three million tons could be delivered after a short period, depending on the condition of Russian diesel refineries.
The US Treasury has temporarily waived sanctions on Russia’s energy sector to allow Russian diesel to reach the global market. The move followed a sanctions law signed by Mr Trump last month aimed at restricting the oil and gas revenues supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Mr Zelenskyy said the arrangement would allow the conflict to continue, arguing that Russia would repay the concession with “further terror and perfidy”.
Russian strikes kill at least 20 in Ukraine
The diplomatic dispute unfolded as Russian strikes killed at least 20 people, including three children, in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, according to local officials. At least 18 people were wounded after aerial bombs hit residential buildings.
Missiles also struck Kyiv during a daytime attack, injuring four people, the city’s mayor, Vitalii Klitschko, said.
Mr Zelenskyy said the strikes demonstrated that Moscow viewed any easing of pressure as permission to continue fighting. “Different signals are needed,” he said.
