Trump says Ukraine needs new leader who can deal with Putin

Catherine Lucey, Bloomberg News on Oct 10, 2026

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President Donald Trump demanded that Volodymyr Zelenskyy halt attacks on Russian oil refineries and suggested he should consider stepping aside as Ukraine’s president, escalating a fight centered on securing more diesel supplies for the U.S. ahead of the midterm elections.

“I think it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Saturday as he unleashed an angry critique of Zelenskyy, saying Ukraine needs a leader “who can make a deal” with Russia.

“There’s plenty of targets,” Trump said. “Don’t hit refineries.”

Zelenskyy previously blasted the U.S. decision to help release Russian diesel fuel into the global markets, which includes a Treasury waiver for some sanctioned Russian fuel.

Trump said Friday he was working with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the diesel release, upending years of sanctions as the White House seeks ways to tame soaring fuel prices ahead of the Nov. 3 elections. Zelenskyy quickly complained that the move will give Russia more resources to continue the war.

On Friday, Ukrainian negotiators left a day early than planned from Miami, where they’d been talking with Trump envoys on ways to end Russia’s full-scale of invasion of its neighbor. Hours later, at least 20 people were killed when Russia struck residential buildings in Ukraine.

Trump announced a series of cargoes beginning this month that he said would initially total about 13.5 million barrels, initially. A Kremlin statement cited Putin as saying that Russia’s ready “to supply oil and petroleum products to the U.S. and global markets.”

On Saturday, Russia partially lifted its ban on diesel exports, allowing 500,000 metric tons of fuel to reach international markets. The government didn’t say when the 500,000 tons would be shipped or whether additional export volumes could be authorized.

Following the U.S. announcement, Germany and the U.K. issued statements confirming their commitment to maintaining strong sanctions on Russia. U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham spoke with Zelenskyy on Satruday and will meet him in person in the coming days, according to a Downing Street spokesperson, who reaffirmed London’s complete support for Ukraine.

Diesel, the fuel often dubbed the workhorse of the global economy, has been thrust into the spotlight as a massive supply crunch sent pump prices to records and stoked concerns over energy-driven inflation.

Democrats were swift to condemn Trump’s deal to facilitate the Russian sale of energy supplies, arguing that it would help give Moscow much-needed funds for their war effort in Ukraine.

Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania said he plans to introduce a bill that would block any purchases of Russian oil. “It will be called the ‘Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act,’” he wrote in a post on X.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, also blasted Trump’s decision, noting that Congress passed legislation that empowers the U.S. president to impose tariffs on countries that purchase Russian petroleum products, which he signed.

“We can discuss Russia’s return to global energy markets once the war is over, but in the meantime, we need to cut off everything fueling it,” she wrote on social media.

Trump claimed during his reelection campaign that he could swiftly end the war and has clashed repeatedly with Zelenskyy since returning to the White House in 2025.

In February 2025, Trump questioned Zelenskyy’s legitimacy as Ukrainian leader, calling him a “dictator” who was balking at holding elections in wartime Ukraine. The following week, the two leaders argued face to face in Oval Office during an extraordinary public blowup over their clashing perspectives on the war, including the roles of Putin and former President Joe Biden. Trump has wavered hot and cold over Zelenskyy since.