Trump says Ukraine needs new president to strike deal with Russia

US President Donald Trump declared on October 10 that Ukraine needs a new leader who can make a deal with Russia, in remarks made to reporters in Maryland. The comments mark a significant escalation in Trump's criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Trump's direct challenge to Zelensky

Trump told reporters that Ukraine needs a new president who can negotiate a deal with Russia, according to DWS News. The statement came amid ongoing US diplomatic efforts to end the nearly three-year-old conflict in Ukraine.

Context

Trump's remarks followed the finalizing of a US-Russia agreement on diesel exports, which drew criticism from Ukraine's European allies. The US president has repeatedly expressed frustration with the pace of peace negotiations and with Zelensky's stance on territorial concessions.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha subsequently defended Zelensky, stating that the president enjoys the full support of the Ukrainian people and that it is the Ukrainian people who have the right to decide their future.