Trump Says Ukraine Needs 'New President'; Kyiv Responds, 'We Decide That'

When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized a US agreement to receive Russian diesel supplies as a gift to Putin, US President Donald Trump hit back directly.

Trump fiercely criticized Zelenskyy, claiming that he has repeatedly squandered opportunities to end the war and caused global problems by attacking Russian oil refineries, even raising the possibility of his exit.

[Donald Trump / US President: "It's a war that should have never started, and I think it's time for a new president in Ukraine."]

The level of US pressure is even extending to a suspension of military cooperation.

The Financial Times reported that senior White House officials recently warned Ukrainian counterparts that core intelligence sharing would be cut off if they do not stop targeting oil refining facilities.

Across the political spectrum, Ukraine strongly pushed back, calling it a violation of national sovereignty.

[Kira Rudik / Member of the Ukrainian Parliament: "We are acting in accordance with the Ukrainian Constitution, and whom to elect and when is a matter for the people of Ukraine alone to decide."]

The EU also stepped in to shield Ukraine, stating that lifting sanctions on Russian diesel amounts to funding the aggressor nation's war efforts.

As this conflict spreads into a confrontation between the Trump administration—pushing for stable oil prices and a swift end to the war ahead of the midterm elections—and the European Union supporting Ukraine, the rift in the transatlantic alliance, which has deepened under Trump's second term, is accelerating further.

Reported by Lee Hanseok | Camera by Oh Jeong-sik | Video by Nam Il | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.