The Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Andri Sibiga, defended President Volodymyr Zelensky this Saturday after recent criticisms from U.S. President Donald Trump, who suggested that "the time has come" to renew leadership in Kiev due to the absence of agreements with Russia.
In response to these statements, the head of Ukrainian diplomacy replied that the reproaches coming from Washington only "confirm that Zelensky is doing his job well" and that, precisely for that reason, "he deserves support."
"President Zelensky leads our nation in a time of war: a war for independence, freedom, and dignity. He has the support of the Ukrainian people, and they have the right to decide. Statements from abroad only confirm that he is doing his job well. He deserves support," Sibiga emphasized in a message shared on his social media.
Kiev's response came just hours after Donald Trump stated from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland that "the time has come for Ukraine to have a new president."
The U.S. leader attributed the lack of progress in the conflict to Zelensky's refusal to sit down to negotiate with Russia, asserting that the Ukrainian president "could have resolved this war many times" but "has chosen not to."
Trump's discontent with the Ukrainian authorities has intensified following recent attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Russian oil refineries aimed at halting the Russian military offensive in the east of the country, despite warnings from Washington, which has just communicated the lifting of sanctions on Russian diesel exports.
Trump announced last Friday a "landmark" agreement with his Russian counterpart for Russia to supply "immediately" more than 300,000 tons of diesel fuel to the U.S. and global market. The deal includes the shipment of "another 500,000 tons during the month of November and 1,000,000 tons immediately after," something that, in Zelensky's view, represents a "gift" for Moscow to finance the war that began in February 2022.