Trump Publicly Calls on Ukraine to 'Change Leaders' at White House; Same Day US and Russia Reach Deal to Lift Diesel Sanctions

According to Deutsche Welle, US President Trump on the 10th publicly pressured Ukrainian President Zelensky at the White House, calling on Kyiv to "change a leader who can reach a deal." This is part of a new round of public pressure Trump has applied to the embattled ally in recent weeks, coming just hours after Russian forces struck Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region in an airstrike that killed at least 20 people.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said, "I suggest they change a leader who can reach a (peace) deal," and claimed Zelensky "for some reason never" reached one. He explicitly added, "I think it is time for Ukraine to change a president," and warned Ukraine to stop attacking Russian refineries — "he had better stop, for me."

The day before Trump made these remarks, the US and Russia had reached a deal to lift US sanctions on Russian diesel exports. Zelensky posted on social platform X, writing, "Today, Russia expressed its thanks for the lifting of diesel export sanctions by dropping five glide bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia." Deutsche Welle cited sources indicating that Ukraine was "caught off guard" by the US-Russia deal and condemned it.

Deutsche Welle reported that the rise in US diesel prices is itself directly linked to Trump's military operation against Iran, but Trump has repeatedly blamed the price increases in recent weeks on Ukrainian drone strikes against Russian refineries, using this to deflect criticism. With the November midterm elections approaching, Trump has further intensified his public attacks on Zelensky. On Friday, Trump again tried this tactic, claiming "he wants to cause trouble for the world, wants to cause trouble for our farmers and ranchers on diesel fuel."

Moscow quickly responded positively to Trump's call for Zelensky to step down. Kremlin special economic representative Kirill Dmitriev posted on X, saying "President Trump has joined those who believe Ukraine needs a real focus on peace, rather than Zelensky's hawkish line," and called this a view "many people share."

On the battlefield reality, Deutsche Welle cited independent estimates indicating that Russia currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory, well below Trump's claim that Ukraine has "lost 30% of its land." British defense officials recently estimated that about 500,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in the war, while there are currently no reliable recent estimates for Ukrainian deaths. Trump's claim of "over 2 million deaths" clearly exceeds the scope of independent assessments and is明显 at odds with the facts.

As Kyiv and its European supporters digest this string of shocks, a clearer power imbalance has emerged: the United States is simultaneously applying political pressure on the elected leader of the invaded country, demanding a change of leadership, while lifting energy sanctions on the aggressor and allowing its petroleum products to flow back into the international market. According to Deutsche Welle, the rise in US diesel prices is directly linked to Trump's military operation against Iran, yet Ukraine has been singled out as the scapegoat for rising US domestic oil prices.