‘Time for Ukraine to Get a New President’: Trump Targets Zelenskyy Over Oil Refinery Attacks

Trump Tells Zelenskyy to Stop Russian Refinery Attacks, Says Ukraine Needs New Leader

US President Donald Trump has called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to immediately stop attacks on Russian oil refineries, while suggesting that Ukraine needs a new leader who can negotiate a settlement with Moscow. The remarks have highlighted growing differences between Washington and Kyiv over efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war and a US move to ease restrictions on Russian diesel exports.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Saturday, Trump delivered a sharp warning over Ukraine’s strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.

“He better damn well stop,” Trump said, referring to the attacks on Russian refineries. Questioning Zelenskyy’s approach to negotiations, he added, “I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal.”

Trump’s comments came after he announced an arrangement involving Russian diesel supplies to international markets. Zelenskyy has opposed the move, arguing that easing restrictions on Russian energy exports would generate additional revenue for Moscow and help finance its continued military campaign.

An Axios report, citing a US official familiar with the discussions, said Trump decided to move forward with the arrangement after Ukraine failed to comply with six American requests to stop attacking Russian refineries.

The disagreement reflects competing priorities between the two governments. The Trump administration is seeking to ease pressure on fuel prices, while Ukraine maintains that relaxing restrictions on Russian energy exports could undermine efforts to limit Moscow’s ability to wage war.

Trump Says Ukrainian Strikes Are Hurting American Consumers

Concerns over rising fuel prices in the United States have partly driven Washington’s push to halt Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil facilities, the US official told Axios.

According to the report, Trump wanted Ukraine to stop the refinery strikes without linking the decision to a reciprocal commitment from Russia to suspend attacks on Ukrainian power infrastructure.

During discussions involving Trump and his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Zelenskyy reportedly offered to suspend attacks on Russian refineries if Moscow stopped targeting Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure.

Trump, however, wanted Kyiv to halt the strikes regardless of whether Russia agreed to stop its own attacks, the official said.

The administration believes that damage to Russian energy facilities can also have consequences for American consumers by adding to pressure on fuel prices.

“The attacks on the refineries cause pain in Russia, but it causes pain for the US, too,” the official said.

The official also indicated that Trump did not regard Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries as equivalent to Russian strikes on Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure.

Ukraine has targeted Russia’s energy sector repeatedly in recent months, disrupting operations at oil facilities. Russia subsequently banned diesel exports, tightening international supplies at a time when the war in Iran had already contributed to volatility in energy markets.

Eight-Hour Miami Meeting Highlights Differences

The dispute was also discussed during a meeting between US and Ukrainian representatives in Miami on Friday. Witkoff and Kushner held eight hours of talks with Ukrainian negotiators as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict continued.

During the discussions, the American envoys reportedly told the Ukrainian delegation that Trump was expected to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin and proceed with easing restrictions on Russian diesel exports.

They also explained that the move followed repeated American requests for Kyiv to stop striking Russian refineries, according to the official cited by Axios.

A Ukrainian official alleged that Witkoff and Kushner warned that continued opposition could lead Trump to suspend US intelligence assistance to Ukraine.

The US official rejected that version of events, saying the envoys had emphasised the importance of American support, including weapons and intelligence, and urged Ukraine to avoid actions that could increase costs for US consumers.

The conflicting accounts underline the strain in relations between Washington and Kyiv as the Trump administration pursues negotiations to end the war. While the United States is pressing Ukraine to stop refinery attacks, Kyiv argues that Moscow should not receive financial benefits from the easing of sanctions.

Zelenskyy Accuses Washington of Giving Putin a ‘Gift’

Zelenskyy has criticised the proposed diesel arrangement, describing it as a “gift” to Putin and warning that relaxing sanctions would provide Russia with additional resources to sustain its invasion.

The Ukrainian president also accused Moscow of responding to the easing of restrictions by continuing attacks on civilian areas.

“Today, Russia expressed its thanks for the lifting of sanctions on diesel exports by dropping five glide bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia,” Zelenskyy said in a social media post on Saturday.

Ukrainian officials reported that Russian strikes in the country’s south-east killed 15 people, including three children, early on Saturday. The reported deaths came hours after Zelenskyy warned that easing pressure on Moscow could encourage further military action.

“Last night confirmed once again that in Russia, they take any easing of pressure to mean they can keep fighting, to mean they can keep dropping bombs on cities. Different signals are needed,” he said.

Separately, widespread power outages were reported in Kyiv, according to Ukraine’s largest private energy provider.

The latest statements have deepened the disagreement between the two governments over the path to peace. Trump has defended the diesel arrangement amid concerns about American fuel costs, while Zelenskyy argues that relaxing restrictions on Russian energy exports would help Moscow finance its continued military operations.