US President Donald Trump has suggested it is time for Ukraine to get a new president, blaming Volodymyr Zelensky for failing to strike a deal to end the war with Russia.

Speaking at the White House on Saturday, Trump said: “I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal. For some reason (Zelenskyy) never does.”

Trump repeated his claim that the war would not have started if he had been president in 2022, saying it “started due to incompetence”. He also said Zelensky had “lost 30% of your country” and spoke of enormous casualties on both sides, calling the war one “that should have never started”.

A row over the US-Russia diesel deal

The remarks came a day after Zelensky criticised the US-Russia diesel deal, calling it “unworthy of our partners” and a “weak decision”. He alleged that Moscow was expressing its “thanks” for the deal by attacking Ukraine.

“Today, Russia expressed its thanks for the lifting of sanctions on diesel exports by dropping five glide bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia,” Zelensky wrote on X.

Trump said on Friday he had secured a deal with Russia for a major release of diesel after easing war sanctions on Moscow, part of a push to lower energy costs ahead of the midterm elections. “Russia will immediately supply over 300,000 tons of diesel fuel to the American and global marketplace,” he announced after talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin said Russia had “reaffirmed its readiness” to supply oil and oil products. Trump added that Russia would supply 500,000 tonnes in November, followed by one million tonnes, with further larger releases promised.

Trump on the Riyadh airport strikes

Trump also addressed the recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. Asked whether the US would join Saudi strikes on the Houthis, he said: “We may. We’re going to look at it. We just found out about the recent attack. We will make a decision. We move very quickly.”