Donald Trump has said “it’s time for Ukraine to get a new President”, as he responded to Volodymyr Zelensky’s criticism of a US deal with Russia to release large quantities of diesel fuel onto the global market.
The Ukrainian president warned that the deal would provide Moscow with money to continue its war against his nation, calling it a gift to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump told reporters outside the White House on Saturday that Zelensky “wants to make problems for the world” by continuing to authorise attacks on Russian refineries. “He’d better damn well stop,” Trump said, before suggesting Ukraine should “get a new leader who can make a deal”.
Global fuel supplies, including diesel, have been severely limited by the war against Iran launched by the US and Israel, which led to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil products usually flows.
Russia – a major producer – and Ukraine have recently intensified their strikes on each other’s energy infrastructure and transport facilities, further straining energy markets.
Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev described Trump’s intervention as “iconic and historic”, saying that Ukraine “needs leadership actually focused on peace”.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky reacted to the deal by saying it would allow Moscow to raise new funds to source new military equipment to continue the war.
Reeta Chakrabarti presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Joe Inwood and Dan Johnson.
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