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United States President Donald Trump says he thinks “it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president”.
Speaking at the White House on Saturday, Trump accused Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, of repeatedly spurning opportunities to strike a deal and end the war with Russia.
Trump’s statement comes days after the US reached an agreement with Moscow to temporarily suspend sanctions on Russian diesel exports.
Zelensky had warned that a new deal to supply millions of tonnes of Russian diesel to the US would generate revenue for Moscow to finance its war against Ukraine.
Trump told reporters that Zelensky is undermining global energy supplies through attacks on Russian oil refineries.
“Zelensky could have settled this war many times, and he chose not to. It’s very difficult,” Trump said, insisting that the war would never have started had he been president when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
The American president said the strikes on Russian oil refineries threatened international diesel supplies and risked worsening fuel costs for American farmers and ranchers.
“We said you [Zelensky] can do whatever you want to Russia; don’t hurt the refineries because that’s the world’s problem,” Trump said.
He said the Ukrainian president’s military strategy was creating economic difficulties beyond the battlefield.
“And he wants to make problems for the world; he wants to make problems for our farmers, our ranchers, with diesel fuel because Russia supplies a large portion of the diesel fuel throughout the world,” Trump said.
Trump added that he had urged Zelensky to avoid targeting Russian refineries because of their importance to international fuel markets.
“But what does he do? He goes and hits the diesel fuel. Do you know what I suggest? I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal because he [Zelensky] could have made many deals, but for some reason he never does,” Trump said.
“I think it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president.”
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, following years of tensions dating back to Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the outbreak of fighting in eastern Ukraine.
The invasion triggered one of Europe’s most devastating conflicts in recent years, resulting in extensive civilian casualties, mass displacement and widespread destruction of Ukrainian infrastructure.
Russian forces continue to occupy significant portions of Ukrainian territory, while Kyiv has sustained its military resistance with support from Western allies, including the US and European countries.
Despite repeated diplomatic efforts, attempts to broker a ceasefire have so far failed.
