Trump Urges Ukraine To Replace Zelenskiy As Diesel Deal With Russia Sparks Backlash

WASHINGTON, October 11, 2026 (DAILYNWZ) — US President Donald Trump called for Ukraine to replace President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Saturday, escalating a dispute over a diesel supply agreement with Russia as deadly Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities intensified pressure on Kyiv to seek a negotiated end to the war.
Trump accused Zelenskiy of undermining global diesel supplies by targeting Russian oil refineries and demanded an end to the attacks. His remarks followed his announcement on Friday of a diesel deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which Zelenskiy said risked encouraging Moscow to continue its war.
“I think it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president,” Trump told reporters at the White House. He said Zelenskiy had harmed fuel supplies for American farmers and ranchers because Russia provides a large share of the world’s diesel.
Trump also criticized Zelenskiy for failing to reach a peace agreement, saying Ukraine’s leader had rejected opportunities to make a deal. “He better damn well stop,” Trump said, referring to Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy facilities.
Zelenskiy responded earlier Saturday by linking Washington’s easing of restrictions on Russian diesel exports to a Russian attack that killed 20 people, including three children, in the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia.
“Today, Russia said thank you for the lifting of sanctions on diesel exports by dropping five glide bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia,” Zelenskiy said. He argued that easing pressure on Moscow was encouraging further attacks and called for a different approach.
A six-year-old girl was among those killed when a strike destroyed part of an apartment building. Her grandfather, Anatoliy Chumniy, wept beside her body after rescuers recovered it from the rubble. “Her birthday would have been at the end of the month,” he said.
The attack was the third mass-casualty strike in Ukraine this week. Nearly 80 civilians were killed in Russian attacks on Wednesday and Thursday, including at least 30 in the eastern city of Kramatorsk and 22 in Pryluky, about 130 kilometers east of Kyiv.
Russia said Saturday it had partially lifted a ban on diesel exports. The agreement drew criticism from US lawmakers, including Republican Representative Don Bacon, who argued that Washington should impose additional sanctions recently approved by Congress rather than ease restrictions.
Analysts also questioned whether the deal would bring sustained relief at the pump, saying the volumes involved remained well below Russia’s usual exports when its refineries are not under attack. Higher global diesel prices following the outbreak of the Iran war in February have become a political liability for Trump’s Republicans ahead of next month’s midterm elections, when Democrats could gain control of one or both chambers of Congress.
The dispute unfolded alongside renewed diplomatic efforts. Ukrainian and European officials met US negotiators in Miami on Friday to develop a common proposal for ending the war, according to a person familiar with the talks. Zelenskiy said Trump’s announcement of the diesel deal had caught Kyiv by surprise, while a Ukrainian presidential aide said the delegation was returning home on Saturday.
Putin said after speaking with Trump on Friday that an immediate resumption of peace talks was unlikely, citing Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow. Russian state news agency TASS reported that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner could visit Moscow within two weeks.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham spoke with Zelenskiy on Saturday and pledged to strengthen sanctions on Russia, a Downing Street spokesperson said. The two leaders are expected to meet in person in the coming days.