Trump Says Ukraine Needs a New President

US President Donald Trump has called for Ukraine to get a new president, openly criticising Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over his handling of the ongoing war with Russia. Speaking to reporters at the White House on October 10, 2026, Trump suggested that Ukraine needed a leader capable of negotiating a peace agreement with Moscow.

Trump said Zelenskyy had missed several opportunities to reach a deal with Russia. “I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal,” Trump told reporters, adding that he believed it was time for Ukraine to have a new president. He also claimed that the war could have been avoided if he had been US president in 2022.

The remarks came amid growing disagreements between Washington and Kyiv over Ukraine's military strikes on Russian energy infrastructure. Trump criticised Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries, arguing that they were contributing to concerns over diesel supplies and fuel prices. His comments followed an announced US-Russia agreement concerning Russian diesel supplies to international markets.

Zelenskyy, meanwhile, criticised the easing of restrictions on Russian diesel exports, warning that additional revenue could help Moscow finance its military operations. His criticism intensified after Russian strikes on Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region killed at least 20 people, including children, according to Ukrainian officials. Trump's demand for new Ukrainian leadership remains a political statement, and Zelenskyy has not been removed from office.