Trump calls for replacing Ukraine's Zelenskyy in tussle over diesel deal with Russia

U.S. President Donald Trump called on Ukraine to replace Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Saturday, after criticizing Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil infrastructure and announcing a diesel supply deal with Russia. Russia partially lifted its diesel export ban with immediate effect, while Zelenskyy condemned the move after a Russian strike killed 20 people in Zaporizhzhia. The dispute came as U.S., Ukrainian and European officials discussed proposals to end the war.

Trump said Ukraine should get a new president because Zelenskyy had failed to make deals, and he demanded that Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries stop.

The Zaporizhzhia strike killed 20 people, including three children; a 6-year-old girl was among those killed when an apartment block was damaged.

Nearly 80 civilians were killed in Russian strikes on Wednesday and Thursday, including at least 30 in Kramatorsk and 22 in Pryluky.

Trump announced the diesel deal while talks were taking place in Miami, surprising Kyiv and prompting Zelenskyy to urge greater pressure on Moscow.

Putin said an immediate resumption of peace talks was unlikely, while Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner may visit Moscow within the next two weeks, according to TASS.

Published Oct 11, 2026 7:47 am KST

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, looks on during a bilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, Sept. 22. AFP-Yonhap

U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday called for Ukraine to replace its leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy and railed against Ukraine's attacks on Russian oil infrastructure, a day after announcing a diesel supply deal with Russia that drew a sharp rebuke from Zelenskyy.

"I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal because he could have made many deals, but for some reason he never does," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I think it's time for Ukraine to get a new president."

Zelenskyy, in some of his sharpest criticism yet of the White House, blasted Trump's deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to lift sanctions on Russian diesel, which comes as soaring energy prices have become a political liability for Trump's Republican Party ahead of next month's midterm elections. The Russian government said on Saturday it had partially lifted a ban on diesel exports with immediate effect.

"Today, Russia said thank you for the lifting of sanctions on diesel exports by dropping five glide bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia," Zelenskyy said after a Russian strike on that city on Saturday killed 20 people, including three children.

The southern city of Zaporizhzhia has been a regular target of Russian bombardment with strikes intensifying in the past few months.

Trump says strikes on Russian energy 'better damn well stop'

Trump's decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel exports, which were imposed about a year ago with the intent of depriving Russia of funding for its war in Ukraine, coincides with persistently high fuel prices that have followed from U.S. conflict with Iran.

Kyiv had instead urged Washington to increase pressure on Moscow in an effort to force it into serious negotiations to end the 4-1/2-year war.

Trump has criticised Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, which he says have driven up global prices, while Kyiv has said it wants a total halt on all energy strikes by both sides as Moscow pummels Ukraine's power grid.

"I said to him, 'Do what you want. Don't hit refineries. There's plenty of targets. Don't hit refineries.' And he went out and he hit," Trump said of Zelenskyy as he departed for a political rally.

"He better damn well stop," Trump added.

On Saturday, a 6-year-old girl was among those killed in Zaporizhzhia when one strike reduced part of an apartment block to rubble.

It was the third mass-casualty attack on Ukraine this week.

Nearly 80 civilians were killed in Russian strikes on Wednesday and Thursday, including at least 30 killed by a bomb in the eastern garrison city of Kramatorsk and 22 others by a missile in the town of Pryluky, about 130 km (80 miles) east of Kyiv.

The latest strikes followed talks between Ukrainian and European officials with U.S. negotiators in Miami on Friday, which were aimed at developing a common proposal for ending the war, according to a person familiar with the discussions.

Trump announced the diesel deal while the negotiations were under way, a move Zelenskyy said had caught Kyiv by surprise.

The Ukrainian delegation was headed home on Saturday, presidential aide Dmytro Lytvyn was cited by the Interfax Ukraine news agency as saying.

Putin said after a call with Trump on Friday that an immediate resumption of peace talks was unlikely, citing Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow.

U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner may visit Moscow within the next two weeks, Russian state news agency TASS reported on Saturday, citing a source.

美国总统特朗普周六呼吁乌克兰撤换总统泽连斯基，此前他批评乌克兰袭击俄罗斯石油基础设施，并宣布与俄罗斯达成柴油供应协议。俄罗斯立即部分解除了对乌克兰的柴油出口禁令，而泽连斯基则谴责了这一举动。此前，俄罗斯的一次袭击在扎波罗热造成20人死亡。与此同时，美国、乌克兰和欧洲官员正在讨论结束战争的方案。

特朗普表示，由于泽连斯基未能达成协议，乌克兰应该换个总统，他还要求乌克兰停止对俄罗斯炼油厂的袭击。

扎波罗热袭击事件造成 20 人死亡，其中包括 3 名儿童；一栋公寓楼受损，一名 6 岁女孩也在遇难者之列。

周三和周四，俄罗斯空袭造成近 80 名平民丧生，其中包括克拉马托尔斯克至少 30 人和普里卢基 22 人。

在迈阿密会谈进行期间，特朗普宣布了柴油交易协议，这令基辅感到意外，并促使泽连斯基敦促对莫斯科施加更大的压力。

据塔斯社报道，普京表示，立即恢复和平谈判的可能性不大，而史蒂夫·威特科夫和贾里德·库什纳可能会在未来两周内访问莫斯科。

发布于2026年10月11日 上午7:47（韩国标准时间）

9月22日，在纽约举行的第81届联合国大会期间，乌克兰总统泽连斯基（左）与美国总统特朗普举行双边会晤。法新社-韩联社

美国总统唐纳德·特朗普周六呼吁乌克兰撤换其领导人弗拉基米尔·泽连斯基，并抨击乌克兰袭击俄罗斯石油基础设施。此前一天，特朗普宣布与俄罗斯达成柴油供应协议，该协议遭到泽连斯基的强烈谴责。

“我建议他们换个能达成协议的新领导人，因为他本来可以达成很多协议，但不知为何他总是食言，”特朗普在白宫告诉记者。“我认为乌克兰是时候换个新总统了。”

泽连斯基对白宫进行了迄今为止最为严厉的批评，抨击特朗普与俄罗斯总统普京达成的解除对俄罗斯柴油制裁的协议。能源价格飙升已成为特朗普所在的共和党在下个月中期选举前的政治包袱。俄罗斯政府周六表示，已立即部分解除对柴油出口的禁令。

“今天，俄罗斯用向扎波罗热居民楼投掷五枚滑翔炸弹的方式来感谢美国解除对柴油出口的制裁，”泽连斯基在周六俄罗斯对该市发动空袭，造成包括三名儿童在内的 20 人死亡后说道。

俄罗斯南部城市扎波罗热一直是俄罗斯轰炸的常客，近几个月来空袭愈演愈烈。

特朗普称对俄罗斯能源企业的打击“最好立刻停止”

特朗普决定解除对俄罗斯柴油出口的制裁。这些制裁大约在一年前实施，目的是剥夺俄罗斯在乌克兰战争中的资金来源。与此同时，由于美国与伊朗的冲突，燃油价格持续高企。

基辅方面则敦促华盛顿加大对莫斯科的压力，以迫使莫斯科进行严肃的谈判，结束这场持续了四年半的战争。

特朗普批评乌克兰袭击俄罗斯炼油厂，称此举推高了全球油价；而基辅方面则表示，希望双方全面停止所有能源袭击，因为莫斯科正在猛烈攻击乌克兰的电网。

“我对他说，‘你想做什么就做什么。别袭击炼油厂。有很多目标可以选择。别袭击炼油厂。’结果他出去就袭击了，”特朗普在前往参加政治集会时谈到泽连斯基时说道。

“他最好赶紧住手，”特朗普补充道。

周六，扎波罗热发生爆炸，一枚炸弹将部分公寓楼夷为平地，造成包括一名 6 岁女孩在内的多人死亡。

这是本周乌克兰发生的第三起造成大量人员伤亡的袭击事件。

周三和周四，俄罗斯的空袭造成近 80 名平民丧生，其中包括在东部驻军城市克拉马托尔斯克被炸弹炸死的至少 30 人，以及在基辅以东约 130 公里（80 英里）的普里卢基镇被导弹炸死的 22 人。

据一位知情人士透露，最新一次空袭发生在周五乌克兰和欧洲官员与美国谈判代表在迈阿密举行会谈之后，会谈旨在制定结束战争的共同方案。

特朗普在谈判进行期间宣布了柴油交易协议，泽连斯基表示，此举令基辅措手不及。

据乌克兰国际文传电讯社援引总统助理德米特罗·利特温的话报道，乌克兰代表团已于周六启程回国。

普京在周五与特朗普通话后表示，鉴于乌克兰无人机袭击莫斯科，立即恢复和平谈判的可能性不大。

据俄罗斯国家通讯社塔斯社周六援引消息人士报道，美国谈判代表史蒂夫·威特科夫和贾里德·库什纳可能在未来两周内访问莫斯科。