US President Donald Trump has called for Ukraine to elect a new president, intensifying tensions with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy as disagreements over negotiations with Russia and energy supplies continue.
Trump made the comments to reporters outside the White House on Saturday, arguing that Ukraine needed a leader capable of reaching an agreement to end the war with Russia.
“I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal,” Trump said, criticising Zelenskyy’s approach to negotiations. He added that he believed it was time for Ukraine to have a new president. The remarks were reported by the Associated Press and other international news organisations.
Trump’s intervention comes as Washington and Kyiv remain divided over how to bring the conflict to an end and how to respond to Russia’s continued military operations.
Dispute Over Russian Diesel Supplies
The latest disagreement follows Trump’s announcement of an arrangement for Russia to supply diesel fuel to the United States and international markets.
Trump said Russia would initially provide more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel, followed by additional deliveries in November and subsequent months. He presented the arrangement as a way to increase fuel supplies and address rising energy costs.
Zelenskyy criticised the agreement, arguing that allowing Russia to earn more from energy exports could provide additional resources for its military campaign against Ukraine.
The Ukrainian president described the arrangement as a benefit to Russian President Vladimir Putin and warned that additional revenue could help Moscow sustain its war effort.
The disagreement places energy policy alongside the broader diplomatic dispute between Washington and Kyiv. While Trump has emphasised the need for an agreement and lower fuel costs, Ukraine has continued to argue that Russia’s capacity to finance its military operations must be reduced.
Trump also accused Zelenskyy of contributing to high diesel prices by authorising attacks against Russian oil refineries and other energy infrastructure. He said he had warned the Ukrainian leader against targeting refineries because of the consequences for fuel supplies.
Pressure Over the War
Trump has repeatedly argued that the war could have been avoided or ended through different political decisions. On Saturday, he again criticised the circumstances surrounding Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
He claimed that the conflict would not have started if he had been president at the time and said Ukraine had suffered severe territorial and human losses.
However, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and the conflict has continued despite multiple diplomatic initiatives and international efforts to secure a settlement.
Trump’s latest remarks amount to direct public pressure on Zelenskyy to pursue an agreement on terms acceptable to Washington. They do not, by themselves, change Ukraine’s government or establish a process for replacing its president.
“I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal because he could have made many…”
The comments also come amid continuing military attacks. Ukrainian officials reported that Russian strikes killed at least 20 people in the Zaporizhzhia region on Saturday, including three children. Additional attacks were reported in Kyiv, where local authorities said several people had been wounded.
The latest casualties underline the continuing human cost of the conflict while diplomatic discussions remain unresolved.
Elections Remain a Complicated Question
Replacing Ukraine’s president would require a political process within Ukraine rather than a decision by the US president.
Ukraine has operated under martial law since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. The country’s legal framework restricts the holding of national elections under martial law, creating significant obstacles to an immediate presidential vote.
Security is another major concern. Russian attacks continue to affect Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, while millions of Ukrainians have been displaced from their homes or live outside the country. Organising a nationwide election under those conditions would present substantial logistical and security challenges.
The question of when Ukraine should hold elections has therefore remained part of the wider international debate surrounding the country’s wartime leadership and any future peace settlement.
Trump’s comments add another dimension to that debate, particularly because the United States remains an influential participant in diplomatic efforts concerning the war.
What Happens Next?
The latest exchange highlights the differences between Trump’s emphasis on reaching a negotiated settlement and Zelenskyy’s concern that arrangements benefiting Russia could prolong the conflict.
For Ukraine, any proposed settlement raises questions about national security, territorial integrity and the conditions needed to prevent renewed fighting. For Washington, the dispute also intersects with energy prices and the political consequences of fuel costs for American consumers.
Whether the public disagreement will affect ongoing diplomatic contacts remains to be seen. Trump’s call for new Ukrainian leadership is a political statement, not evidence that Zelenskyy has resigned or that a presidential election has been scheduled.
For now, the dispute underscores the difficulty of reconciling competing priorities as the war continues and international pressure for a settlement persists.
Source: Associated Press reporting, October 10, 2026.
