Trump says Ukraine needs a new president who will agree to end the war

What the report says

US President Donald Trump has publicly called for Ukraine to choose a new leader, saying Volodymyr Zelenskyy should be replaced by someone who can reach a deal to end the war with Russia. In remarks at the White House, Trump criticized Zelenskyy over Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries and argued that the war should never have begun. He also repeated his view that the conflict would not have started if he had been president in 2022.

The comments came amid rising friction between Washington and Kyiv over energy and war policy. Al Jazeera reported that Trump recently agreed to a diesel deal with Russia, which drew a sharp response from Zelenskyy and concern from Ukraine’s European partners. Ukrainian officials said Russian strikes in the Zaporizhzhia region killed at least 20 people around the same period, underscoring the continuing human toll of the conflict.

Ukraine’s foreign minister defended Zelenskyy, saying he has public support and that only Ukrainians can decide their president. Zelenskyy, meanwhile, warned that any easing of pressure on Moscow would help finance further attacks and military production. The developments highlight a widening divide over how to pressure Russia while trying to pursue peace talks, with Trump’s remarks adding new uncertainty to US policy toward the war.