Donald Trump urged Ukraine to replace its leader Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday, criticizing Kyiv’s strikes on Russian oil infrastructure just days after he announced a diesel supply agreement with Russia that drew a sharp rebuke from the Ukrainian president.
This represents the harshest criticism yet of the administration from the former president, who connected the US lifting of sanctions on Russian diesel to a Russian attack on Saturday that killed 20 people, including three children, in the city of Zaporizhzhia.
A sharp increase in global diesel prices, which occurred following the outbreak of the Iran war in February, has turned into a political liability for the Republican Party ahead of next month’s midterm elections.
Trump’s Diesel Deal Sparks Political Fallout
“I think it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president,” Trump told reporters at the White House, claiming that Zelensky had damaged global diesel supplies by targeting Russian refineries.
“He wants to make problems for our farmers, our ranchers, with diesel fuel because Russia supplies a large portion of the diesel fuel throughout the world.”
Zelensky stated that Trump’s Friday announcement of the diesel deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin had emboldened Moscow. Kyiv has urged Washington to pressure Moscow for serious negotiations to end the 4½-year-old war.
“Today, Russia said thank you for the lifting of sanctions on diesel exports by dropping five glide bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia,” Zelensky said.
“Last night provided yet more confirmation that Russia perceives any easing of pressure as a signal that it can supposedly keep fighting, that it can supposedly keep dropping bombs on cities. Different signals are needed.”
Russian Strikes Intensify, Civilian Casualties Mount
Zaporizhzhia, a city in southern Ukraine, has repeatedly faced Russian shelling, and the attacks have grown more intense over the past few months.
On Saturday, a 6-year-old girl was among the dead in Zaporizhzhia when one strike reduced part of an apartment building to rubble. Her grandfather, Anatoliy Chumniy, stood sobbing over her body, which lay on the ground in a white bag after rescuers pulled it from the wreckage.
“Her birthday would have been at the end of the month,” he said through tears.
This marked the third mass-casualty attack on Ukrainian soil this week.
Russian attacks on Wednesday and Thursday caused the deaths of nearly 80 non-combatants, with a bomb in Kramatorsk, an eastern garrison city, killing at least 30, and a missile hitting Pryluky, a town about 130 kilometers (80 miles) east of Kyiv, killing 22.
Analysts noted that the agreement was unlikely to result in sustained lower fuel prices, as the volumes involved remain far below what Russia usually exports when its refineries are not under attack.
Negotiations Stalled Amid Escalating Violence
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham spoke with Mr. Zelensky on Saturday and said Britain would strengthen its sanctions on Russia, according to a Downing Street spokesperson, who added that the two leaders would meet in person in the coming days.
A source close to the negotiations said that the latest attacks came after Ukrainian and European officials met with US negotiators in Miami on Friday, which were aimed at developing a common proposal for ending the war, according to a person familiar with the discussions.
Mr. Trump announced the diesel deal while the negotiations were under way, a move Mr. Zelensky said had caught Kyiv by surprise.
The Ukrainian delegation was headed home on Saturday, presidential aide Dmytro Lytvyn was cited by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency as saying.
Following a call with Mr. Trump on Friday, Mr. Putin said that an immediate resumption of peace talks was unlikely, citing Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow.
US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner may visit Moscow within the next two weeks, Russian state news agency TASS reported on Saturday, citing a source.
Trump Demands Ceasefire, Blames Zelensky
In his remarks at the White House, Trump criticized Zelensky over the lack of a peace deal, while demanding an end to Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy facilities.
“I said to him, ‘Do what you want. Don’t hit refineries. There’s plenty of targets. Don’t hit refineries.’ And he went out and he hit,” Trump said. “He better damn well stop.”
“I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal because he could have made many deals, but for some reason he never does,” he added.
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