President Donald Trump said it is "time for Ukraine to get a new president," escalating a public clash with Volodymyr Zelensky after the Ukrainian leader condemned a deal that would release millions of tonnes of Russian diesel into the US market.
Trump made the remark to reporters on Wednesday, according to the BBC, directly responding to Zelensky's warning that the diesel arrangement would hand Moscow fresh revenue to sustain its war against Ukraine. The exchange marks one of the sharpest breaks between Washington and Kyiv since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
Zelensky argued the deal would provide the Kremlin with money to continue its military campaign, which has now run more than three years and killed tens of thousands of civilians. He has repeatedly pressed allies to choke off Russian energy revenues, calling oil and gas sales the financial backbone of Moscow's war machine.
The diesel in question would flow to the US from a carve-out in Western sanctions that has kept Russian crude and refined fuels moving to global buyers despite price caps imposed by the G7 in December 2022. Russian diesel exports have remained a critical source of hard currency for the Kremlin, with India, Turkey and Brazil among the largest buyers since Europe's ban took effect in February 2023.
Trump's call for a change in Ukraine's leadership is unusual for a sitting US president, who typically avoids commenting on the domestic politics of allied nations at war. Zelensky's five-year term was due to expire in May 2024, but Ukraine has postponed elections under martial law, which has been extended repeatedly since the invasion.
The two leaders have had a volatile relationship. A July 2019 phone call between them helped trigger Trump's first impeachment, and a contentious Oval Office meeting in February 2025 ended with Zelensky leaving the White House early. Ties appeared to improve after Trump returned to office, but the diesel dispute has reopened the rift.
Ukraine's presidential office has not publicly responded to Trump's remark. The White House did not immediately detail any policy change tied to the president's comment.
Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, would need to lift martial law before any presidential vote could be scheduled, a step Kyiv has said depends on a durable ceasefire and security guarantees from its Western partners.
