Trump calls for new president of Ukraine
The US president links his appeal to criticism of Volodymyr Zelensky and the war economy.
Follow-up to: Trump announces 300,000-tonne Russian diesel deal Friday, 9 October 2026, 21:44
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President Donald Trump believes Ukraine should have a new president. In his view, Volodymyr Zelensky is doing too little to end the war with Russia and Ukraine is contributing to high diesel prices in the United States.
Trump made the statement to reporters on Saturday before leaving for Tennessee for a meeting with Republican voters. He said that, in his view, Ukraine needs a leader who can reach an agreement. He did not mention a concrete proposal for a change of Ukrainian leadership or elections.
The statement marks a new escalation in Trump’s criticism of Zelensky. The US president said that, in his view, Zelensky could have reached several agreements earlier but failed to do so. Zelensky himself has not directly responded to the new appeal.
The appeal follows Trump’s announcement on Friday that Russia would supply diesel to the United States in the short term. According to Trump, this involves more than 300,000 tonnes, followed by larger quantities in November and afterwards. The precise terms, payment arrangements and legal basis of the deal were not public on Saturday.
Trump says that attacks on Russian energy infrastructure are putting pressure on the global fuel market. The Associated Press writes at the same time that the war between the United States and Iran has driven up international energy prices. The US diesel price therefore cannot be attributed unambiguously to a single country.
The diesel deal has already drawn criticism in the US Congress. Democratic senators called the purchase an undermining of Ukraine and European allies. They pointed out that the United States had shortly beforehand adopted new sanctions legislation targeting Russian oil and gas revenues.
It also remains unclear what consequences Trump’s appeal will have for diplomatic talks. US envoys met Ukrainian representatives in Miami on Friday to discuss a proposal to end the war. According to AP, the Russian government has said it is willing to supply oil and oil products, but has not disclosed any agreements on concessions.
For Ukraine, the statement touches on the question of who negotiates on the country’s behalf and under what conditions. For Washington, it is also about fuel prices, sanctions policy and military support. As long as the US government presents no detailed plan for elections or succession, Trump’s appeal remains primarily a form of political pressure.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Trump called for a new Ukrainian president.
- He criticised Zelensky for failing to reach an agreement with Russia.
- Trump linked the war and Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure to high diesel prices.
- The terms of the announced diesel delivery were not fully public.
Left
Arguments The appeal is seen as undue pressure on an attacked ally and as undermining Ukraine’s self-determination. On this view, the diesel deal with Russia could support the Russian war chest.
Values International law, democratic legitimacy, solidarity with an attacked country and the protection of civilians.
Consequences A change in US policy could weaken Ukraine, divide European allies and reward Russia without a peace agreement in return.
Centre
Arguments The United States may seek diplomatic and economic ways out, but must do so with transparent terms, consultation with allies and respect for Ukrainian institutions.
Values Institutional continuity, predictable policy, alliances and verifiable agreements.
Consequences A temporary fuel agreement could help consumers, but only if sanctions rules, payment and security are legally clear.
Right
Arguments Trump supporters may say that Zelensky shows too little willingness to negotiate and that American voters are entitled to lower fuel prices. On this view, Washington should primarily serve its own national interest.
Values National sovereignty, energy security, cost control and a swift end to foreign wars.
Consequences Pressure on Kyiv could accelerate talks, but an overly harsh rupture could reduce American influence and deterrence over the longer term.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The core facts are based directly on the Associated Press report and are consistent with the previously reported diesel deal. Unconfirmed details about the contract, payment and sanctions are explicitly described as uncertain.
- confirmed Donald Trump said on Saturday that Ukraine should have a new president. — AP quotes Trump on this in Washington. source
- confirmed Trump linked his criticism of Zelensky to high diesel prices in the United States. — AP explicitly describes this link. source
- confirmed Trump said on Friday that Russia would supply more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel. — This appears in the earlier AP report on the diesel deal. source
- confirmed The precise terms of the diesel deal were not public. — AP reports that the White House did not answer questions about payment and availability. source
Editor's note
It is certain that Trump called for a new Ukrainian president on Saturday and linked his criticism to diesel prices and the war. The diesel deal itself had not yet been independently documented with a public contract; the precise terms remain uncertain.Sources
- Trump says Ukraine should get a new president as he blames Zelenskyy for US diesel prices — Associated Press
- Trump strikes deal with Putin for Russian diesel — Associated Press
The story so far
- Friday, 9 October 2026, 21:44 Trump announces 300,000-tonne Russian diesel deal
- Saturday, 10 October 2026, 06:48 US temporarily make Russian diesel tradable again
- Saturday, 10 October 2026, 10:45 Deadly attack puts Trump's diesel deal under pressure
- Saturday, 10 October 2026, 20:45 Trump calls for new president of Ukraine (this article)
More on this in Dutch media
- de Volkskrant — „donald trump”
- RTL Nieuws — „donald trump”
- NOS — „donald trump”