President Donald Trump on Saturday called for new leadership in Ukraine, marking a dramatic shift in the United States’s relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump has long pushed Russia and Ukraine to make a deal ending the war between the countries, which has now stretched over four-and-a-half years.
Over the weekend, he complained to reporters outside the White House about what he described as Zelensky’s inability or reluctance to agree to a peace agreement. Trump suggested Ukraine “get a new leader who can make a deal,” signaling a notable downturn in Zelensky’s relationship with Washington, which has long provided vital support for his war against Russia.
“He could have made many deals, and for some reason, he never does,” Trump said.
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Trump also lashed out at Zelensky for attacking Russian oil refineries. The president’s rebuke comes shortly after the U.S. reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin on purchasing the country’s diesel fuel. Moscow agreed to supply diesel to global markets to lower fuel prices, in exchange for Trump lifting U.S. sanctions on Russian fuel, which had been put in place to target Russia’s ability to target Ukraine.
“He better damn well stop,” Trump said of Zelensky’s authorization of attacks on Russian refineries.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.