A public dispute between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy has escalated sharply after the US president said Ukraine needed "a new leader", a day after he struck a deal allowing Russia to supply diesel to world markets.
Trump also demanded that Ukraine stop attacking Russian oil refineries. "He better damn well stop," he told reporters at the White House on Saturday.
The remarks came as the war entered its 1,691st day, with Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities killing 20 people, including three children, according to Ukrainian officials, and Ukrainian drones continuing to target Russian energy infrastructure.
The diesel deal
The row centres on an agreement between Washington and Moscow that allows Russia to release diesel on to global markets to ease a worldwide fuel shortage that has driven up prices.
Zelenskyy reacted furiously on Friday, calling the deal "terrible" and "not fair and not honest". Kyiv has argued that Russian oil revenues finance the war and that easing restrictions rewards Moscow while fighting continues.
Supporters of the deal in Washington say it addresses an urgent economic problem affecting American consumers and allies, and could create space for negotiations.
Trump's account of Putin talks
Trump said he had spoken to Vladimir Putin by phone on Friday and that the Russian president wanted a settlement. "Russia would like to make a deal … but for whatever reason, Zelenskyy does not want to make a deal," Trump said. "President Putin would like to see a settlement, strongly."
He did not provide evidence for the claim that Zelenskyy was resisting compromise. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly said they are willing to negotiate, but will not accept terms they regard as surrender of territory or sovereignty.
Kyiv responds
Ukraine's foreign minister, Andriy Sybiga, said Zelenskyy had the backing of his people. "He has the support of the Ukrainian people, and they have the right to decide," Sybiga said. "Statements from abroad only confirm that he is doing his job well. He deserves support."
A Ukrainian delegation that had been in Miami for talks on ending the war was heading home on Saturday, according to Dmytro Lytvyn, an adviser to Zelenskyy.
Moscow welcomes the remarks
In Moscow, the reaction was warm. Kirill Dmitriev, the Kremlin's special envoy on economic cooperation, described Trump's comments as "historic". "President Trump joins the many who believe that Ukraine needs leadership actually focused on peace," he wrote on X.
Russian state media reported, citing a source, that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who have led Washington's efforts to broker a peace agreement, could visit Moscow within the next two weeks.
Russia's defence ministry said its drones had struck a data-processing centre in Kyiv and a cargo ship it said was carrying military supplies to the port of Odesa. Russian officials maintain that their strikes target military and infrastructure sites; Ukraine says civilians are being killed in residential areas.
European allies rally
The British prime minister, Andy Burnham, telephoned Zelenskyy to express "complete solidarity", according to a Downing Street readout. Burnham said he recognised that "the past 24 hours had been difficult for Ukraine" and that the UK would continue to strengthen sanctions on Russia. The two agreed to meet in person in the coming days.
Germany also said it would keep pushing for new EU sanctions despite the diesel arrangement. "The German government sticks to its measures sanctioning Russia and is working jointly with its European partners on new sanctions," said government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius, adding that diplomatic efforts for a peaceful solution would continue.
On the front line
Ukraine's general staff reported 221 combat engagements over the previous 24 hours, with the heaviest fighting around Pokrovsk and Huliaipole. It said Russian forces had used more than 8,000 kamikaze drones and dropped 255 guided aerial bombs. Russia's defence ministry, for its part, reported advances and heavy Ukrainian losses. Neither side's figures can be independently verified.
The widening gap between Washington and Kyiv, and between Washington and European capitals, now looks set to shape what comes next: whether a renewed push for talks gathers pace, or whether the divisions leave the war grinding on into another winter.
