Watch: 'Time for Ukraine to get a new president', says Trump

US President Donald Trump has called for new leadership in Ukraine, directing criticism at President Volodymyr Zelensky over strikes on Russian oil refineries.

Trump targets Zelensky’s leadership

Trump’s comments represent a direct challenge to Zelensky’s position as Ukraine’s president. According to the statement, Trump linked his call for a change in leadership to Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil-refining facilities.

The remarks put Zelensky and Ukraine’s decisions regarding the conflict at the centre of a public intervention by the US president. They also frame the strikes on Russian oil infrastructure as a matter connected to the country’s political leadership.

Political significance

A call from the US president for a new Ukrainian president carries clear political weight, although the source does not provide details of any proposed successor or describe a specific process for changing leadership.

The comments also leave unanswered how the criticism could affect the wider relationship between Washington and Kyiv. No further policy measures, negotiations or consequences were specified.

What remains unclear

The available information does not indicate whether Ukraine has responded to Trump’s remarks. It also does not provide details about the refinery strikes, their timing or the broader circumstances surrounding them.

For now, the central development is Trump’s public demand for new Ukrainian leadership and his criticism of Zelensky over the attacks on Russian oil refineries.