Trump says it's time for Ukraine to get a new president who will make a deal with Russia

What Happened

US President Donald Trump, in comments to journalists in Maryland broadcast by DWS News, said it is time for Ukraine to get a new president who can strike a deal with Russia. Trump claimed that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could have ended the war many times but has not, and accused him of striking refineries and disrupting diesel supplies to US farmers. Trump's assertions about Zelenskyy and refinery strikes are attributed statements, not independently verified. On 9 October, Trump said he had a 'highly successful discussion' with Russian President Vladimir Putin and reached an agreement on lifting sanctions on Russian diesel fuel. Zelenskyy called the easing of sanctions 'absolutely terrible' and a 'birthday present for Putin', saying Ukraine's negotiating team in the US had been used as 'cover' while Trump and Putin reached fuel agreements. Yuri Ushakov, an aide to Putin, stated that in the phone call Putin rejected the possibility of peace talks and said Russia will continue military operations until it has achieved 'all its objectives'. Negotiations in Miami involving US, Ukrainian, European and NATO representatives on de-escalation ended earlier than planned; on 10 October, Dmytro Lytvyn, Zelenskyy's communications adviser, stated the Ukrainian delegation was on its way home.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

Trump's public call for new Ukrainian leadership signals a possible break in US support for Zelenskyy and could reshape Ukraine's negotiating position and Western cohesion. The reported US-Russia diesel fuel sanctions deal, if implemented, could provide revenue to Russia's war effort while undermining Ukrainian leverage, and Putin's stated rejection of peace talks indicates that Russian military operations are unlikely to pause despite diplomatic contacts.

Watch For

Monitor whether the Trump administration issues formal sanctions relief on Russian diesel fuel, how Ukrainian officials respond to Trump's comments on leadership, and whether the early end of the Miami negotiations leads to a rescheduled meeting or a breakdown in US-Ukraine-European coordination. Also watch for any new Russian military offensives or statements from the Kremlin following Putin's reported rejection of peace talks.