Trump Calls for Ukraine to Replace Zelensky
President Trump said Saturday that Ukraine should install a new leader open to negotiating with Moscow, one day after he lifted sanctions permitting Russian diesel shipments to the U.S.
The Morning Brief Desk · October 11, 2026 · Based on reporting by Axios
President Trump said Saturday that Ukrainians should swap out President Volodymyr Zelensky for a successor prepared to reach terms with Russia, according to Axios. The remarks came roughly 24 hours after Trump removed sanctions in order to let Russian diesel flow into the American market, part of an arrangement reached with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump paired the comments with two demands aimed at Kyiv. He threatened to halt intelligence-sharing with Ukraine, and he insisted that Zelensky end Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries. Fox News reported that Trump argued those attacks are tightening worldwide diesel and fuel supplies at a time when prices at U.S. pumps remain high.
The response from within Trump's own party was quick. Several Republicans objected publicly to the diesel arrangement, The Hill reported, among them Sen. John Kennedy and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick went further, pledging to introduce legislation with bipartisan backing that would bar purchases of Russian oil. The pushback sets up a potential confrontation between congressional Republicans and the White House over whether the United States should be buying fuel from Russia while the war in Ukraine continues.
The context
The Saturday remarks followed a sequence of moves in which Trump reoriented U.S. policy toward Moscow around energy supplies. On Friday, he lifted sanctions so that Russian diesel could be sold into the United States, a step tied to a deal with Putin. Elevated fuel prices have been the stated rationale: Trump has framed Ukraine's refinery strikes as a driver of strained diesel supplies globally, with U.S. pump prices still running high. Zelensky has led Ukraine throughout its war with Russia, and Ukrainian forces have targeted Russian oil refineries as part of that campaign. The material does not indicate how Zelensky or the Ukrainian government responded to Trump's call for new leadership, nor does it detail the full terms of the diesel arrangement.
Why it matters
A U.S. president publicly urging an allied country at war to change its elected leader, while easing sanctions on its adversary, marks a significant shift in American policy toward the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The threatened cutoff of intelligence-sharing would touch one of the most consequential forms of U.S. support for Kyiv. At home, the episode has opened a rift inside the Republican Party, with lawmakers moving to legislate against the administration's own deal. And the dispute is tied directly to consumer costs, since the administration has justified the arrangement by pointing to elevated fuel prices.
What’s next
Fitzpatrick has promised a bipartisan bill to block Russian oil purchases; its timing, text and prospects in Congress have not been detailed. Key open questions include whether Trump follows through on cutting intelligence-sharing, how Zelensky and the Ukrainian government respond to the call for his replacement, whether Ukraine continues refinery strikes, and whether the diesel deal measurably affects U.S. pump prices.
Sources
Axios — Trump tells Ukraine to replace Zelensky over Russia fuel deal
President Trump called Saturday for Ukraine to replace President Zelensky with someone willing to make a deal with Russia, a day after lifting sanctions to allow Russian diesel exports to the US.
The Hill — GOP lawmakers reject US-Russia diesel deal, Trump's Zelensky comments
Several Republicans, including Sen. John Kennedy and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, publicly objected to the diesel deal, with Fitzpatrick vowing a bipartisan bill to block Russian oil purchases.
Fox News Politics — Trump calls for Ukraine to replace Zelenskyy after clash over Russia diesel deal
Trump demanded Zelensky stop striking Russian oil refineries, warning the attacks worsen global diesel and fuel supplies as US pump prices stay elevated.
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