President Trump sharply criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday, telling reporters outside the White House that “it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president.”
Trump’s remarks came only hours after his administration announced an agreement for Russia to supply 300,000 metric tons of diesel to the United States and international energy markets.
The president said the arrangement was a direct response to Ukraine’s continued strikes on Russian oil refineries, despite his request that Zelensky halt the attacks.
“I said to him: ‘Do what you want, don’t hit refineries,’” Trump told reporters Saturday afternoon as he departed the White House for a rally in Tennessee.
Trump also faulted Zelensky for failing to end the war in Ukraine, which began when Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022.
“You’ve lost 30% of your country and you’ve had over a million people killed. … I think it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president,” Trump said angrily.
NEXT UP: Trump Tells Ukraine to ‘Get a New Leader’ as He Attacks Zelensky
“Zelensky could have settled this war many times—many, many times. And he chooses not to. Very difficult. It’s a war that should have never been started,” he added.
Trump said he had repeatedly told Zelensky, “Don’t hit the refineries,” arguing that the strikes were creating broader problems for the global economy. “That’s a world problem that’s causing. And he wants to make problems for the world,” Trump said.
Average diesel prices in the United States have climbed above $6 a gallon, raising costs for American farmers, businesses and consumers.
Trump was traveling to Tennessee for his latest visit to a Republican-leaning state ahead of the midterm elections. Republicans are facing competitive races in several agricultural states, including Iowa and Kansas—contests that party operatives partly attribute to elevated fuel prices.
Some Republicans have opposed the diesel agreement, saying it weakens economic pressure intended to persuade Putin to end the war.
“Unfortunately, while I understand the desire to bring down diesel prices, I am concerned the lifting of sanctions on Russian oil will only fund the Kremlin’s war machine—emboldening more violence and destruction, as we have seen in recent days,” Rep. Michael McCaul, Republican of Texas, wrote on X Friday.