Trump called for the election of a new president of Ukraine who could strike a deal

U.S. President Donald Trump called on Ukraine to elect a new president while speaking to reporters at the White House. He claims that Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly been given the opportunity to negotiate an end to the war but has not taken it.

“I’m suggesting that Ukraine elect a new leader who can make a deal. For some reason, he (Volodymyr Zelenskyy — ed.) never makes a deal,” said Donald Trump.

Another complaint from the U.S. president concerned attacks on Russian oil refineries. Trump claims that he asked Zelenskyy not to launch such strikes because they create problems for other countries.

“Zelenskyy wants to create problems for the whole world. He wants to create problems for our farmers by striking Russian oil refineries,” Donald Trump said.

Russia imposed restrictions on diesel fuel exports amid Ukrainian strikes on refineries and difficulties supplying its domestic market. According to calculations by Reuters, published on September 15, after drone attacks, 3 of the 6 largest Russian diesel producers significantly cut production or halted it entirely.

Russia is now beginning to lift these export restrictions ahead of schedule. This comes after a phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 9.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy opposed easing U.S. sanctions without an agreement on de-escalation. In his view, such a move would give Russia additional resources to continue the war.

At the same time, Zelenskyy said he would support easing energy sanctions if Ukraine and Russia mutually halted strikes on energy infrastructure over the winter.

We previously reported:

• 53% of Ukrainians believe Zelenskyy should serve only one presidential term — poll
• No strikes on energy infrastructure: Trump announces agreement, Zelenskyy awaits guarantees
• Trump urges Zelenskyy not to strike diesel fuel producers in Russia
• Zelenskyy calls elections during wartime “a tsunami for the country”
• Trump could repeat the fatal lesson of Munich in 1938 by imposing someone else’s peace terms on Ukraine