Trump says Ukraine should pick a new leader; Kyiv's top diplomat backs Zelensky

US President Donald Trump said on 10 October that Ukraine should choose a new leader who can reach a deal to end the war with Russia, and that President Volodymyr Zelensky "never makes deals". Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said later that day that Zelensky has the support of the Ukrainian people and that only they have the right to decide.

What Trump said

Trump spoke as he left the White House for a trip to Tennessee, according to the Ukrainian outlets LB.ua and Ukrainska Pravda. Both reported his words in Ukrainian. RealUA could not find the original English transcript, so the quotes below are a back-translation and may differ from his exact wording.

"I am suggesting that Ukraine choose a new leader who can make a deal. For some reason Zelensky never makes deals," Trump said, as quoted by LB.ua.

Trump also claimed that Zelensky does not want to end the war and is "creating problems for the world". According to LB.ua, he said Zelensky had several chances to end the war and did not take them. These are Trump's claims. The sources offer no evidence for them.

Trump also criticised Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil refineries. He said they cause "problems for the world and for American farmers", according to the same reports.

Sybiha's response

Sybiha, Ukraine's foreign minister, responded on the same day. He did not name Trump in the remarks quoted by Ukrainska Pravda, but they came shortly after the US president's statement and appear to be a response to it.

"He has the support of the Ukrainian people, and it is the people who have the right to decide. Statements from abroad only confirm that he is doing his job well. He deserves support," Sybiha said.

In a separate post, Sybiha wrote that "after yesterday's counterproductive events, today became a day of active diplomatic activity for Ukraine". He stressed that partners' support for Ukraine remains unwavering. The sources do not say which events he meant, and RealUA has not tried to guess.

Context and what followed

Trump's call for a change of leadership is a sharp turn in US rhetoric towards Kyiv. Ukraine's president is chosen in national elections, so the question of who leads the country is one for Ukrainian voters. Sybiha's reply made the same point.

Trump's criticism of the refinery strikes was followed by developments on 11 October. Zelensky said Ukraine was ready to stop striking Russian refineries if Russia ends attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. He also said Kyiv supports an energy ceasefire that Trump announced, adding that it is important for Russia to back it too. The terms of that ceasefire have not been made public.

It is not yet clear whether the White House will elaborate on Trump's remarks. RealUA will update this story if further statements appear.