Trump says Ukraine needs new president after Zelensky condemns Russian diesel deal
US President Donald Trump has said it is time for Ukraine to get a new president, responding to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s criticism of a deal to suspend sanctions on Russian diesel exports to the United States.
Zelensky warned that the agreement, which would allow millions of tonnes of Russian diesel to enter the US market, would provide Moscow with funds to sustain its war against Ukraine. He described the deal as a gift to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Saturday, Trump accused Zelensky of wanting to create problems for the world by continuing to authorise attacks on Russian oil refineries.
“He’d better damn well stop,” Trump said, suggesting that Ukraine should “get a new leader who can make a deal”.
Ukraine has been under martial law since Russia invaded the country in 2022, resulting in the suspension of elections.
Global fuel supplies have been severely disrupted by the war against Iran, launched by the United States and Israel, which led to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a major route through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil products usually pass.
Russia and Ukraine have also intensified attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure and transport facilities, further straining global energy markets.
“We said, ‘you can do whatever you want to Russia, don’t hit the refineries’, because that’s a world problem that’s caused,” Trump said, adding that Zelensky could have reached several agreements but had failed to do so.
Putin’s envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, described Trump’s intervention as “iconic and historic”, arguing that Ukraine needed leadership focused on peace.
Trump confirmed on Friday that an agreement had been reached with Moscow to suspend sanctions on Russian diesel exports until April 7.
Zelensky criticised the agreement, saying it would enable Russia to raise additional funds to procure military equipment and continue the war.
He also accused Moscow of interpreting the deal as permission to continue fighting and bombing Ukrainian cities following deadly new strikes on Zaporizhzhia.
The Ukrainian president spoke with several allies on Saturday to discuss the latest developments, calling for “real decisions to protect lives in Ukraine” and safeguard European security.
A Downing Street spokesperson said UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham had spoken with Zelensky and offered him “complete solidarity”.
The spokesperson said both leaders agreed that Russia should accept “an immediate energy ceasefire” and stop attacking shipping in the Black Sea, arguing that such a move would immediately increase the availability of energy and food supplies on the global market.
The US-Russia diesel agreement also drew criticism from the European Union’s foreign affairs chief, Kaja Kallas, who echoed Zelensky’s concerns that suspending sanctions would provide Moscow with additional revenue to finance the war.
“This is not the time to ease pressure on Russia, and Europe won’t,” Kallas said.
She added that European foreign ministers intended to approve the bloc’s largest package of sanctions against Russia since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Monday.
The agreement is the latest effort by Trump to reduce fuel prices in the United States ahead of the midterm elections, following months of political pressure over the economic consequences of the war against Iran.
The conflict, which began in February, has driven up petrol prices, particularly diesel, fuelling public concerns over rising costs and contributing to broader inflation.
According to the American Automobile Association, the average price of diesel stood at $6.28 per gallon, compared with $5.94 the previous month and $3.68 a year earlier.
Under the agreement, Russia would initially release 300,000 tonnes of diesel to the American and global markets, followed by an additional 500,000 tonnes in November.
Trump said on Truth Social that a further one million tonnes would be supplied, followed by another three million tonnes “within a short period of time”. He noted, however, that the additional delivery would depend on the condition of Russia’s diesel refineries.
Russia has experienced two waves of severe fuel shortages in the past 10 months following Ukrainian drone attacks on its oil refineries.
The International Energy Agency estimated that diesel production in Russia had fallen by about 30 per cent.
Trump had previously called for fresh elections in Ukraine in December, arguing that Ukrainian voters should have the opportunity to replace Zelensky.
However, elections remain suspended under Ukraine’s martial law, which has been in force since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Credit: BBC
