Trump Says Ukraine Needs New Leader After Russia Diesel Deal

President Donald Trump said Saturday that Ukraine needs "a new leader," a day after announcing a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to buy large quantities of Russian diesel, according to The Guardian. Trump blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for high diesel prices in the United States and suggested Kyiv has not done enough to end the war with Moscow.

What did Trump say about Zelenskyy?

"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," Trump said, according to the Guardian. The remark came as fuel costs remain a key issue for voters ahead of November's U.S. midterm elections, the outlet reported.

What is in the Russia diesel deal?

Trump announced the agreement Friday, saying it was needed to reduce U.S. diesel prices. The deal appeared to catch Kyiv off guard: it was unveiled while Ukrainian negotiators were in Miami for separate peace talks, the Guardian reported.

"Today, Russia expressed its thanks for the lifting of sanctions on diesel exports by dropping five glide bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia," Zelenskyy said on social media, as quoted by the Guardian.

How did Zelenskyy respond to the deal?

Zelenskyy called the arrangement a "gift" to Putin and warned that Russia would funnel the proceeds back into its war effort. "Any easing of sanctions" would play into Russia's hands, "allowing it to kill more, wage war for longer," he said, according to the Guardian.

What happened in Zaporizhzhia?

Hours after the diesel deal was announced, Russian forces struck civilian targets in southeastern Ukraine. Ukrainian officials said the barrage killed 20 people, including three children, the Guardian reported. Rescuers pulled a wounded woman from the rubble of a damaged apartment building in Zaporizhzhia, according to images distributed by Reuters and carried by the Guardian.

By the numbers

• 20 people killed in the Saturday strikes on Zaporizhzhia, including 3 children, per Ukrainian officials cited by the Guardian.
• 5 glide bombs struck residential buildings in the city, according to Zelenskyy's statement.
• The diesel deal was announced one day before the strikes, as U.S. midterm elections approach in November.

What happens next?

• Watch whether the diesel purchases proceed as outlined, and whether U.S. diesel prices fall before November's vote.
• Watch for any Ukrainian or European government response to Trump's call for new Ukrainian leadership.
• Watch whether the Miami peace talks, where Ukrainian negotiators were meeting when the deal was announced, continue or stall.
• Watch for further Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities and any shift in sanctions enforcement tied to the diesel agreement.

The Guardian did not report any immediate response from the White House or the Kremlin beyond Trump's comments and the diesel announcement itself. Zelenskyy's office has not indicated whether it will seek further clarification from Washington on the terms of the purchase agreement, based on the material reviewed.

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