Donald Trump Calls for New Ukrainian President After Russia Diesel Deal

President Donald Trump called for Ukraine to install a new president on Saturday, claiming Volodymyr Zelensky has failed to end the war with Russia. Speaking at the White House, Trump blamed Zelensky for record U.S. diesel prices and urged him to stop strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.

The demand follows a deal Trump struck with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday to import millions of tons of Russian diesel to lower fuel costs before the U.S. midterm elections. President Zelensky condemned the agreement, arguing that easing sanctions provides Moscow with funds for weapons and signals that continued attacks on Ukraine are permissible. Zelensky's criticism came as Russian strikes in the Zaporizhzhia region killed at least 20 people.

European allies, including Germany, Poland, and Sweden, expressed dismay or skepticism, noting that energy revenues fund the Russian military. While Trump's envoys met with Ukrainian officials in Miami to discuss a peace proposal, Ukrainian officials stated they were not informed of the diesel deal prior to its announcement.