Donald Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for striking Russian diesel refineries, blaming him for rising global diesel prices and calling for his resignation. This came as Trump negotiated a deal to buy Russian diesel despite sanctions, amid Ukraine’s efforts to cripple Russia's economy through infrastructure strikes. The comments mark a new low in relations between the two leaders since a contentious meeting early last year.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-10,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On October 7, President Donald Trump criticized Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine's president, during a press conference at the White House, suggesting that Ukraine should replace him with a new leader who could negotiate peace with Russia. Trump argued that Zelenskyy had missed numerous opportunities to end the war and accused him of contributing to high diesel prices in the U.S. by attacking Russian refineries. This came days after Trump announced a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to purchase Russian diesel, despite ongoing sanctions against Moscow. Trump’s comments marked a significant deterioration in relations between the two leaders since their controversial meeting in February 2021. Zelenskyy, however, had been coordinating steps to counter Russia's revenue from its war efforts and was discussing military support with other world leaders like Emmanuel Macron and Alexander Stubb.
Written for “Trump urges new ukraine president” on 2026-10-10,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it +0.65, but 1 quote(s) could not be found in the article and the other 2 are attributed speech rather than the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
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Leaning score withheld for article 70914: no verified evidence · logged 2026-10-10
Donald Trump said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “better damn well stop” striking Russia’s diesel refineries and called for the wartime leader to leave office, as relations between the two sink to fresh lows over skyrocketing diesel prices.
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relations → say → prices
The US president on Friday struck a deal to buy Russian diesel, upending years of sanctions against Moscow, though it was not evident that Vladimir Putin could fulfil his end of the deal, given he is struggling to fuel his own economy.
uncertain
he → strike → economy
On Saturday (US time), Trump lashed out at Zelensky, blaming him for the ongoing war that was started by Russia, and calling for him to be replaced as president.
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him → lash → president
“Zelensky could have settled this war many times - many, many times.
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Zelensky → settle → war
He chooses not to.
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He → choose → ?
Very difficult,” Trump told reporters while leaving the White House.
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Trump → tell → House
“We said you can do whatever you want to Russia, don’t hit the refineries because that’s a world problem that’s caused.
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that → say → refineries
He wants to make problems for the world, he wants to make problems for our farmers, our ranchers.”
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he → want → farmers
Ukraine has pummelled Russian energy infrastructure in an attempt to cripple Putin’s economy and deprive Moscow of funding for the war.
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Ukraine → pummel → war
Russia has imposed a diesel export ban as it battles to fuel its own needs.
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it → impose → needs
But the diesel shortage has flowed through the world economy and contributed to rising prices in the US just weeks before the midterm elections, in which energy costs – primarily petrol prices – are a major issue for American consumers, farmers and industry.
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costs → flow → consumers
Trump has repeatedly called on Zelensky to halt strikes against Russia’s energy infrastructure.
“We told him ‘do whatever you want but don’t hit the diesel fuel’ … and what does he do, he goes and hits the diesel fuel.
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he → call → fuel
He can do whatever he wants, but he can’t do that,” Trump said Saturday.
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Trump → do → that
“He’s not going to affect our farmers, and he’s not going to affect our ranchers, and he’s not going to affect the rest of the world.
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he → go → world
He better damn well stop.”
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He → stop → ?
The US president then went further, calling for Zelensky to go.
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Zelensky → go → ?
“You know what I suggest?
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I → know → what
I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal.
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who → suggest → deal
He could have made many deals and for some reason he never does.
uncertain
he → make → reason
“That’s a war that should have never started, and I think it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president.”
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Ukraine → ’ → president
The comments represent arguably the lowest point in relations between Trump and Zelensky since the infamous Oval Office meeting in late February last year, early in Trump’s second term, when Vice President JD Vance said Zelensky was ungrateful for US support.
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Zelensky → represent → support
The leaders raised their voices at each other, and the encounter ended with Zelensky being forced to depart the White House early.
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Zelensky → raise → House
While relations improved later, Trump has routinely blamed the Ukrainian president for either starting the war - which began when Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine - or failing to accept a deal to end the conflict.
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Putin → improve → conflict
Such deals would have involved Ukraine ceding significant amounts of territory to Russia, even land that was not fully occupied by Russian forces.
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that → involve → forces
Zelensky has shied away from directly criticising Trump since that tempestuous Oval Office meeting, but on Friday he called the diesel deal “weak” and unfair, and a birthday gift to Putin.
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he → shy → Putin
More to come
Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world.
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what → come → world
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