US President Donald Trump has urged Ukraine to replace Volodymyr Zelensky with a new president who would agree to end the war, criticising the Ukrainian leader over strikes on Russian oil refineries that he says have pushed up diesel prices ahead of the US midterm elections.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Saturday, Trump said he had told Zelensky to «do what you want» against Russia, but «don't hit refineries». He added: «He better damn well stop», and said he believes «it's time for Ukraine to get a new president» who would agree to end the war.
The remarks mark a sharp escalation in Trump's public pressure on Kyiv, tying the conduct of the war directly to fuel costs facing American voters. Diesel prices have been a persistent concern in the United States, and Trump's comments suggest he sees the refinery strikes as a factor in those costs as the midterm elections approach.
Trump did not specify what a change of leadership in Ukraine would look like, nor did he name any preferred successor. His call for a new president stops short of demanding immediate elections, but it signals a willingness to see Zelensky replaced by someone more open to negotiating an end to the conflict.
The Ukrainian government has not yet responded publicly to Trump's remarks. Zelensky has previously said that any negotiations must respect Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and that decisions about the country's leadership are for Ukrainians alone.
Trump's intervention comes amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the war, now in its fifth year. The United States has been a major supplier of military and financial aid to Ukraine, and Trump's stance on the conflict has shifted several times since he returned to office.
Analysts note that Trump's focus on diesel prices reflects domestic political calculations. With the midterms looming, rising fuel costs are a sensitive issue for American households and businesses, and the White House has been under pressure to bring them down.
It remains unclear whether Trump's comments will translate into a change in US policy toward Ukraine. The White House has not announced any new measures following his remarks, and it is not known whether he has discussed the matter with other allied leaders.
For now, Trump's message is clear: he wants the refinery strikes to stop and he wants a Ukrainian leadership that will agree to end the war. Whether Kyiv will heed that call is another matter.
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