rump says Ukraine needs a new leader a day after a deal to buy Russian diesel. Russia hit Ukraine with deadly strikes, and Europe says it will not ease pressure on Moscow.4 min readOct 11, 2026 01:08 PM IST First published on: Oct 11, 2026 at 01:07 PM IST ShareWhatsapptwitterFacebookPresident Donald Trump speaks with reporters as he arrives on Air Force One. (Photo: AP/File)US President Donald Trump has said Ukraine needs “a new leader”, a day after he agreed a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the US to buy large amounts of Russian diesel, The Guardian reported. Trump said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not done enough to end the war with Russia, and he blamed him for high diesel prices in the US. “I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal,” Trump said.The comments came as Russia hit Ukraine with deadly strikes. Ukrainian officials said a barrage on the south-east early on Saturday killed 20 people, including three children. Zelenskyy said the strikes were Russia’s “thanks” for the diesel deal, which he called a “gift” to Putin.The deal was announced on Friday while Ukrainian negotiators were in Miami for peace talks, and it appeared to catch Kyiv off guard, The Guardian said. Trump says it is needed to bring down fuel prices, which are a key issue for voters ahead of the US midterm elections in November. European leaders have criticised the move, and the EU says it will push ahead with new sanctions on Russia.Why Trump says Ukraine needs a new leaderTrump’s main complaint is that Zelenskyy has not made a deal to end the war. “He could have made many deals,” Trump said, adding that “for some reason he never does”. He also blamed the Ukrainian leader for high diesel prices in the US.Also read Trump’s Russian diesel deal: What it means for fuel pricesFuel is at the centre of the row. Russia’s fuel output has become a key point of conflict between the two leaders. Trump has tried to stop Ukraine from bombing Russian oil refineries, which he says makes a global diesel shortage worse. Zelenskyy has refused unless Russia stops attacking Ukraine’s energy sites.Story continues below this adThe Financial Times reported that during the Miami talks, Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner raised the possibility that the US could cut off intelligence sharing with Kyiv if it did not halt the strikes on refineries, The Guardian said.Russian strikes and Zelenskyy’s responseZelenskyy said the diesel deal would give Russia money to pay for the war, and that “any easing of sanctions” would help Russia kill more people and fight for longer. Hours later, the barrage hit the south-east. Rescuers worked at an apartment block damaged by a strike in Zaporizhzhia.“Today, Russia expressed its thanks for the lifting of sanctions on diesel exports by dropping five glide bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia,” Zelenskyy said on social media. He added that “different signals are needed”. The country’s largest private energy firm said there were large power cuts in Kyiv.Zelenskyy said Russia “must feel its losses” and that Ukraine will respond. He said Ukraine is ready to take “de-escalatory steps” but only if Russia does the same. In Russian-held Luhansk, the Russian-installed governor, Leonid Pasechnik, said Ukrainian attacks in the past 24 hours killed four civilians and wounded five.Story continues below this adThe Kremlin described Friday’s call between Trump and Putin in warm terms. The Russian news agency Interfax quoted Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov as saying it was “very substantive and friendly”, and that neither leader wanted to be the first to hang up.Most Read1World News Highlights: Tennessee’s Christa Pike, who survived execution attempt, discharged from hospital2US Green Card suspension: What it means for Indian techies at Microsoft, TCS, Cognizant, Infosys, Wipro, HCL, Adobe and Capgemini3Flash floods sweeps away several houses in Nepal’s Gorkha, warning issued for settlements along Budhi Gandaki River4Saudi airport attack updates: 12 dead in Riyadh, Trump says US may join strikes on Houthis5‘Hater of America’: Trump attacks Navi Pillay, sanctions ICC as Nobel Peace Prize 2026 winner roasts US president6Trump awards Satya Nadella as US suspends Microsoft from PERM green-card programmeEU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the deal “provides Moscow with more revenues to wage war”. She said Europe will not ease pressure, and that EU foreign ministers plan on Monday to approve what she called the biggest set of sanctions listings against Russia’s war machine since the war began. They plan to add 1,600 people and organisations to the EU’s sanctions list.A German government spokesperson, Stefan Kornelius, said Berlin stays committed to sanctions on Russia and that support for Ukraine “remains unwavering”. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said he “regrets” the US deal, as energy income is a key source of money for Russia’s war.UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham told Zelenskyy in a call that he stands in “complete solidarity” with Ukraine, No 10 said. The two agreed to meet in person in the coming days.AdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementLive BlogDelhi CJP Protest News Live Updates: CJP’s Abhijeet Dipke says returning home after grandmother’s death10 minutes agoWorld News Today Live Updates: 12 killed in Riyadh, Trump to speak with Saudi Arabia’s MBS12 minutes agoIndia news Live Updates, 11 October 2026: Ganga erosion swallows temple and houses in Bihar15 minutes agoIndia News Highlights, 10 October 2026: Congress to challenge MP High Court verdict scrapping 27% OBC quota in SC17 hours agoIndia News Highlights, 9 October 2026: Opposition MPs reach Vijay Chowk, raise slogans against CEC Gyanesh Kumar2 days agoAdvertisement