Trump rips Zelensky amid Russia diesel deal feud: ‘I suggest they get a new leader’

President Trump on Saturday pushed back on criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the White House’s decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel amid the Russia-Ukraine war.

The president told reporters outside the White House that Zelensky “could have settled this war many times,” but “chose not to.”

“He wants to make problems for the world,” Trump said. “He wants to make problems for our farmers, our ranchers with diesel fuel because Russia supplies a large portion of the diesel fuel throughout the world.”

The president said his administration told the Ukrainian leader not to “hit the diesel fuel,” but Zelensky ignored his request, referring to Ukraine’s decision to target Russian oil refineries in response to Moscow’s strikes on civilian infrastructure.

When pressed by a journalist about concerns this agreement could place Ukrainians at greater risk for Russian attacks, Trump responded, “I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal.”

The deal, which was announced Friday, permits Russia to supply 300,000 tons of diesel to the U.S. and the global marketplace.

It comes as the president faces growing pressure to address concerns over mounting energy costs due to global fuel shortages during the U.S.’s military operations against Iran and the Russia-Ukraine war.

On Saturday, Zelensky warned the deal signaled to Russia that “it could simply keep attacking” Ukraine.

“Every additional billion dollars they can earn from exports will be spent on nothing but sourcing and importing critical components and equipment to manufacture weapons, upgrading ‘shaheds,’ producing missiles, and recruiting even more mercenaries to fight at the front,” the Ukrainian leader wrote in a post on the social platform X.

“Russia’s choice is war,” he continued. “And they will be ready to end it only when they feel that their ability to drag the war out is diminishing.”

Democratic lawmakers also denounced the move, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) accusing the president of striking “a deal with the devil” to try to save his “flailing political fortunes.”

“This filthy deal will only aid and abet the same Putin who is helping the Iranians to target and try to kill American troops in the Middle East and who illegally and viciously invaded our ally Ukraine,” Schumer wrote on the social platform X .

Additionally, Pennsylvania Rep. Madeleine Dean (D) cast the move as a “desperate” attempt from President Trump to “escape the consequences of his failed Iran war.”

“Trump is preparing to stab Ukraine in the back and buy diesel from Putin,” Dean continued. “He’s helping fund Russia’s war machine, while our allies pay the price.”