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Trump openly calls for Zelenskyy’s replacement as tensions between Washington and Kyiv deepen
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Zelenskyy says Ukrainians alone will choose their leader, offers election if Putin accepts 60-day ceasefire
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Dispute erupts over Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries after US temporarily eases sanctions on Russian fuel
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Kyiv offers reciprocal energy truce, saying refinery attacks will stop if Moscow ends strikes on Ukrainian facilities
October 11, (THEWILL) – United States President, Donald Trump, has called for a change of leadership in Ukraine, declaring that it is time for the country to have a new president, in a dramatic escalation of his differences with Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, over the conduct of the war with Russia.
Zelenskyy fired back on Sunday, insisting that only Ukrainians could decide who leads their country, but offered to organise elections if Russian President, Vladimir Putin, agrees to a 60-day total ceasefire.
“Please tell Putin, give us two months, 60 days of total ceasefire, 60 days, and we will organise elections,” Zelenskyy told ABC’s “This Week”.
The offer followed Trump’s blunt intervention on Saturday, when he criticised Zelenskyy over Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil refineries and questioned his continued leadership.
“I think it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
Rejecting any suggestion that Washington or Moscow should determine Ukraine’s leadership, Zelenskyy said, “It’s up to Ukrainians”, adding that Putin would equally welcome his removal from office.
The extraordinary public exchange has opened another fault line between Washington and Kyiv at a critical stage of diplomatic efforts to end the war, with Trump increasingly applying pressure on Ukraine while seeking a negotiated settlement with Russia.
At the centre of the latest confrontation are Ukraine’s strikes on Russian oil refineries, which Kyiv regards as legitimate military-economic targets because of the importance of energy revenues to Moscow’s war effort.
Trump criticised the attacks a day after the United States temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian fuel that had been designed to deprive Moscow of revenues to finance the war.
The US President’s criticism also came amid concerns over pressure on global fuel supplies and prices.
Zelenskyy rejected attempts to blame Kyiv for rising energy costs, arguing that the conflict in the Middle East was driving increases in global fuel prices.
He said it was easy to blame Ukraine for higher prices “when everybody in the world understands” that prices were rising because of the war in the Middle East.
In an apparent attempt to defuse the energy dispute, Zelenskyy earlier on Sunday offered Moscow a reciprocal halt to attacks on critical energy facilities.
He said Ukraine was prepared to stop striking Russian oil refineries if Russia ceased attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
The proposal effectively challenges Moscow to accept an energy ceasefire under which both countries would stop targeting facilities that have become central to their wartime strategies.
Russia has repeatedly struck Ukraine’s electricity generation, transmission and other energy facilities with missiles and drones, while Kyiv has increasingly taken the war deep into Russian territory by targeting refineries and other installations linked to Moscow’s energy sector.
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Election Controversy
The dispute over the refinery attacks has now spilled into the politically sensitive question of Zelenskyy’s mandate.
Zelenskyy was elected President of Ukraine in 2019 for a five-year term, which ordinarily would have led to another presidential election in 2024.
But Ukraine has remained under martial law since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, preventing the country from proceeding with normal national elections.
Kyiv has argued that conducting a credible election during an active war would present enormous constitutional, security and logistical difficulties.
Beyond the danger of Russian attacks on polling facilities, millions of Ukrainians have been displaced internally or forced abroad, large numbers are serving in the military, while Russia occupies parts of Ukrainian territory.
Trump has nevertheless increasingly raised questions about Ukraine’s political leadership while pressing Zelenskyy to reach an agreement with Moscow to end the conflict.
Zelenskyy’s latest response seeks to turn the election question back on Russia: if Putin wants Ukraine to return to the polls, Kyiv says Moscow should first provide the security conditions necessary to conduct them by accepting a 60-day total ceasefire.
The Ukrainian President has maintained that any peace arrangement must provide effective security guarantees and prevent Russia from exploiting a pause in fighting to regroup and resume its offensive.
War And Strained Washington-Kyiv Relations
Russia’s February 2022 invasion transformed relations between Ukraine and the West, with Washington and European governments providing Kyiv with extensive military, financial and humanitarian assistance while imposing sweeping sanctions on Moscow.
Russian energy exports have been a major target of Western economic measures because oil and gas revenues remain crucial to Moscow’s finances.
Ukraine has simultaneously stepped up direct attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, arguing that weakening the sector reduces Moscow’s ability to finance and sustain its military campaign.
Trump’s return to the White House, however, has brought a markedly different approach to the conflict, centred on pressure for a negotiated end to the fighting.
That approach has repeatedly produced friction with Zelenskyy over the terms of any settlement, Ukraine’s security and the concessions that may be required to secure an agreement with Putin.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
