The president of the United States, Donald Trump, has called this Saturday for a change of leadership in Ukraine, considering that his counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, has not done enough to reach an agreement that ends the war with Russia. His statements come just a day after announcing a pact with Vladimir Putin to facilitate the export of millions of tons of Russian diesel, a decision that the Ukrainian government has received with harsh criticism.
During an appearance at the White House, Trump suggested that Ukraine should choose another president capable of negotiating with Moscow and blamed Zelensky for not having reached an understanding with Putin. The American president has reiterated that the Russian invasion of 2022 would not have occurred if he had been in the Presidency at that time, attributing the start of the war to the incompetence of the previous American Administration.
The statements come as Russia intensifies its bombings on Ukrainian territory. At least 20 people, including three minors, have died this Saturday in a Russian attack against the Zaporizhia region, according to Ukrainian authorities. Emergency services have also reported new attacks against Kiev.
Trump questions Zelensky while negotiating with Putin
Trump has defended the need to find a Ukrainian interlocutor willing to close a deal with Russia and has stated that Zelensky has not managed to end the conflict. The American president has insisted that the war could have been avoided and has used the territorial and human losses suffered by Ukraine to justify his criticisms of the Ukrainian leader.
The new confrontation between both presidents coincides with the talks that American and Ukrainian representatives have held in Miami to explore a negotiated exit to the conflict. Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner participated in the contacts, held while Washington was negotiating directly with Moscow for the supply of Russian fuel.
According to Ukrainian sources cited by the Associated Press, the Kiev delegation was not previously aware of the details of the energy agreement and this was not part of the discussions held in Florida.
Zelensky accuses Washington of giving a gift to Putin
The response of the Ukrainian president has been especially critical of the decision to partially lift sanctions on Russian diesel. Zelensky considers that allowing new energy exports to Moscow amounts to facilitating economic resources that can be used to prolong the war.
In statements collected by Reuters, the leader has described the agreement as “an investment in a war that must end” and has warned that economic concessions to Putin will not contribute to achieving peace.
In an interview granted to Axios, Zelensky has also questioned the way Washington negotiated the agreement while its representatives were holding talks with the Ukrainian delegation. The president has considered that the United States used the peace negotiations as cover for its contacts with Moscow, although he insisted that Ukraine still needs U.S. mediation.
The attacks on Russian refineries, at the center of the disagreement
The dispute also has an energy dimension. According to information published this Saturday by Axios, citing a U.S. official familiar with the talks, Trump decided to move forward with the agreement with Putin after Zelensky ignored several requests to stop Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries.
Washington believes that these operations contribute to raising fuel prices in international markets, while Kiev defends them as a way to reduce Russia's income and military capacity.
Zelensky had proposed to suspend attacks on Russian oil facilities if Moscow agreed to stop bombing Ukrainian energy infrastructures. However, according to the U.S. source, Trump demanded that Ukraine unilaterally halt its operations.
The same information reports contradictory versions about the talks in Miami. A Ukrainian source claims that the U.S. envoys threatened to interrupt intelligence sharing if the attacks continued, while the U.S. official denies that such a threat was made.
Twenty dead in Zaporizhia after new Russian bombings
The diplomatic confrontation coincides with a new wave of Russian attacks on Ukraine. According to Ukrainian authorities, 20 people have died, including three children, and another 18 have been injured in the bombings recorded this Saturday in Zaporizhia. Attacks have also occurred against Kiev and its energy infrastructure, which have caused power outages and disruptions to public transport.
Zelensky has linked these bombings to the partial lifting of sanctions, considering that Moscow interprets economic concessions as a sign that it can continue the offensive.
Peace negotiations, pending new contacts
Despite the deterioration of relations between Washington and Kiev, diplomatic talks have not been considered over. U.S. envoys are studying new trips to Moscow and Ukraine to try to bridge positions on a potential agreement.
However, Putin has not committed to immediately resuming negotiations, according to statements from his foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov reported by Axios.