US President Donald Trump stepped up pressure on Kyiv on Saturday, calling on Ukrainians to choose a new president who could reach an agreement to end the war with Russia, and accusing President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of obstructing a settlement and continuing to target Russian oil refineries despite Washington's demands that he stop.
Trump accuses Zelenskyy of obstructing a settlement
Trump's remarks came a day after a call with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. The US president said Zelenskyy could have settled the war on numerous occasions but chose not to do so, accusing him of seeking to cause problems for the United States and the world through attacks targeting oil-refining facilities in Russia.
Trump added, speaking to reporters before departing for Clarksville, Tennessee, to attend an election rally, that Washington had told Zelenskyy he could do whatever he wanted towards Russia, but that he should not target refineries because the repercussions represented a global problem. The president called on his Ukrainian counterpart to stop the attacks immediately, referring to the targeting of diesel fuel.
I suggest that they choose a new leader so they can reach an agreement
Diesel agreement deepens dispute between Washington and Kyiv
The remarks came after Trump decided to conclude an agreement to supply diesel with Russia, following Zelenskyy's disregard of around six US requests to stop targeting Russian refineries, according to Axios, which quoted a US official with direct knowledge of the discussions. The agreement between Trump and Putin triggered a new crisis in relations between Washington and Kyiv.
Zelenskyy said he was surprised by the agreement, describing it as “unfair and dishonest”, and said it represented an unjustified gift to the Russian president. The escalation coincided with reports that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner might travel to Moscow within the next two weeks, as part of US efforts to reach an agreement ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that the US envoys would be welcome in Moscow and that Putin was ready to meet them.
He added that Russia was prepared to listen to the ideas and proposals the two negotiators were discussing with the Ukrainian side in the United States, if they decided to present them to the Russian leadership.
