US President Donald Trump has called for Ukraine to elect a new president, accusing Volodymyr Zelensky of repeatedly rejecting opportunities to reach a deal to end the war with Russia.
Speaking at the White House on Saturday, Trump said Zelensky had failed to take advantage of opportunities to negotiate an end to the conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
“Zelensky could have settled this war many times, and he chose not to. It’s very difficult,” Trump told reporters, insisting that the war would not have started if he had been president when Russia invaded.
Trump’s remarks came days after the United States reached an agreement with Moscow to temporarily suspend sanctions on Russian diesel exports.
Zelensky had warned that a new arrangement allowing millions of tonnes of Russian diesel to be supplied to the US would generate revenue for Moscow to finance its war against Ukraine.
Trump accused the Ukrainian president of undermining global energy supplies by targeting Russian oil refineries, warning that the attacks could affect international diesel availability and increase 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 argued that Ukraine’s military strategy was creating economic difficulties beyond the battlefield, particularly because of Russia’s role in supplying diesel to international markets.
“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.
The US president said he had urged Zelensky to avoid attacking 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.
Russia-Ukraine war
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 conflict in eastern Ukraine.
The invasion has resulted in extensive civilian casualties, mass displacement and widespread destruction of Ukrainian infrastructure.
Russian forces continue to occupy significant portions of Ukrainian territory, while Kyiv maintains its military resistance with support from Western allies, including the United States and European countries.
Despite repeated diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, attempts to secure a lasting ceasefire have yet to produce a settlement.
