Trump says Ukraine should get new President as he blames Zelenskyy for U.S. diesel prices
U.S. President Donald Trump has called for a change in Ukrainian leadership, blaming President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the ongoing war and rising diesel prices in the United States. Trump claimed that the conflict could have been avoided through better leadership and criticized Ukraine's handling of energy infrastructure strikes.
Why it matters
This rhetoric signals a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy stance toward the Ukraine-Russia conflict and domestic energy politics ahead of midterm elections.
President Donald Trump said on Saturday (October 10, 2026) it was time for Ukraine to get a new president, suggesting Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not done enough to end his country's war with Russia and blaming him for high diesel prices in the U.S.
“I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal because he could have made many deals and for some reason he never does,” Mr. Trump said.
The President, who on Friday (October 9, 2026) struck a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to buy diesel from Russia in an attempt to address high fuel prices ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, has been urging Mr. Zelenskyy for weeks to stop strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.
He has also sought to blame record U.S. diesel prices on Ukraine rather than the U.S.-led war in Iran, which has elevated world energy prices.
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