At a moment when the war in Ukraine has already consumed more than two million lives, President Trump called from the White House for Volodymyr Zelenskyy to be replaced by a leader willing to negotiate with Russia — while simultaneously lifting sanctions on Russian diesel exports in a deal struck with Vladimir Putin. The move reframes American power not as a shield for a besieged democracy, but as a lever in a transactional calculus shaped by domestic energy politics and approaching midterm elections. History will note that on the same afternoon Trump suggested Ukraine find new leadership, Rus
Trump calls for Zelenskyy's ouster, warns Ukraine against targeting Russian oil
Russian attacks killed 20 people in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region on Saturday; over 2 million reported casualties in the ongoing conflict.
He better damn well stop attacking refineries
Mark
So Trump is essentially saying Zelenskyy should resign because he hasn't made peace with Russia. But what does that actually mean—what kind of peace deal is Trump imagining?
Mimi
That's the question nobody can answer from what Trump said. He just keeps saying Zelenskyy "never does" make deals, but he doesn't specify terms. The implication seems to be that Ukraine should accept whatever Russia is willing to offer.
Luke
And we should note that Trump's casualty figures—30 percent of territory, over two million dead—those don't match independent assessments. The territory figure is closer to 20 percent. The death toll is genuinely uncertain. So we're working with Trump's numbers, not verified ones.
Mimi
Right. But what's clearer is the policy contradiction. Trump lifts sanctions on Russian diesel in one breath and tells Ukraine not to attack refineries in the next. He's essentially protecting Russia's revenue stream.
Mark
Why would he do that? What's the logic?
Mimi
He says it's about fuel prices for American farmers and ranchers. He's blaming Ukraine's attacks on Russian oil for inflation at home. So by lifting sanctions and protecting refineries, he's positioning himself as the guy who solved the energy crisis.
Luke
But that's his framing. We don't actually know if Ukrainian drone strikes on refineries have meaningfully affected global diesel prices. That's an attribution we should hold lightly.
Mark
And the timing—this all happens right before midterms?
Mimi
Exactly. He needs to show he's bringing costs down. Zelenskyy becomes a convenient scapegoat.
Luke
The other thing: Russia immediately welcomed the call for Zelenskyy's ouster. That's not coincidental. And then Russian forces killed twenty people in Zaporizhzhia the same day. So we're watching a policy shift that appears to embolden Moscow in real time.
Der Puls
- Trump publicly called for Zelenskyy's removal, claiming Ukraine has lost 30% of its territory and failed to pursue peace — figures that independent analysts and British defense officials dispute.
- Hours after Trump's remarks, Russia struck residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia with five glide bombs, killing twenty civilians — a brutal punctuation to a day of diplomatic upheaval.
- Trump reached a deal with Putin to lift US sanctions on Russian diesel exports, a concession that frees Moscow to generate war revenue on international fuel markets while Ukraine's allies scramble to respond.
- Zelenskyy responded with pointed irony on social media, linking the Russian attack directly to the sanctions relief — framing the deaths as Moscow's immediate 'thank you' for American policy.
- Moscow welcomed Trump's call for Zelenskyy's ouster as validation, with a Kremlin envoy amplifying the message on social media, deepening fears among EU allies about the direction of US engagement.
- With US midterms approaching, Trump's framing of Ukrainian drone strikes as the cause of American diesel prices reveals the domestic political architecture driving decisions with life-and-death consequences abroad.
At a moment when the war in Ukraine has already consumed more than two million lives, President Trump called from the White House for Volodymyr Zelenskyy to be replaced by a leader willing to negotiate with Russia — while simultaneously lifting sanctions on Russian diesel exports in a deal struck with Vladimir Putin. The move reframes American power not as a shield for a besieged democracy, but as a lever in a transactional calculus shaped by domestic energy politics and approaching midterm elections. History will note that on the same afternoon Trump suggested Ukraine find new leadership, Russian glide bombs fell on apartment buildings in Zaporizhzhia, killing twenty people.
On Saturday, President Trump called from the White House for Ukraine to replace Volodymyr Zelenskyy, arguing that the Ukrainian leader had failed to negotiate peace and should step aside for someone willing to make a deal with Russia. Trump claimed Zelenskyy had surrendered 30 percent of Ukrainian territory and overseen more than two million casualties across both sides — figures that independent analysts place significantly lower, with British defense officials estimating roughly half a million Russian soldiers killed and acknowledging uncertainty about Ukrainian losses.
The call for leadership change arrived alongside a concrete policy shift: Trump announced he had reached an agreement with Vladimir Putin to lift American sanctions on Russian diesel exports, allowing Moscow to sell fuel on international markets and generate revenue for its ongoing war effort. In the same breath, Trump warned Kyiv not to strike Russian oil refineries, telling Zelenskyy to 'do what you want' against Russia — but not that.
The domestic logic was visible beneath the diplomatic surface. For weeks, Trump had blamed Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil infrastructure for rising fuel prices in the United States, and with midterm elections approaching in November, he sought to position Zelenskyy as a liability to American farmers and ranchers. The diesel deal with Putin offered Moscow economic relief while giving Trump a political shield against inflation.
Ukraine and its European allies were still absorbing the shock of the sanctions announcement when the call for Zelenskyy's removal landed. Moscow responded with swift approval — a Kremlin envoy posted on social media that Trump had joined those who believe Ukraine needs leadership 'focused on peace, not Zelenskyy's warmongering.'
Hours later, Russian forces struck the Zaporizhzhia region with five glide bombs aimed at residential buildings, killing twenty people. Zelenskyy's response was laced with bitter irony: Russia, he wrote, had expressed its thanks for the sanctions lift by dropping bombs on apartment buildings. The dead in Zaporizhzhia gave the day's diplomacy its sharpest possible context — civilians killed while their president faced removal calls from the ally whose support Ukraine could not afford to lose.
On Saturday, President Trump stood at the White House and called for Ukraine to replace its leader. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he said, had failed to negotiate an end to the war with Russia and should step aside for someone willing to make a deal. "I suggest they get a new leader who can make a peace deal," Trump stated, adding that Zelenskyy "never does" what is needed.
Trump's specific grievance centered on what he characterized as catastrophic losses. He claimed Zelenskyy had surrendered 30 percent of Ukrainian territory and presided over more than two million deaths across both sides of the conflict. "That's a war that should have never started," Trump said. "And I think it's time for Ukraine to get a new president." Independent assessments, however, place Russian-controlled territory at closer to 20 percent of Ukraine. British defense officials have reported roughly half a million Russian soldiers killed, while acknowledging they lack reliable recent figures on Ukrainian casualties.
In the same remarks, Trump issued a direct warning to Kyiv: do not attack Russian oil refineries. He told Zelenskyy to "do what you want" against Russia but "don't hit refineries." The warning carried particular weight because Trump had just reached an agreement with Vladimir Putin to lift American sanctions on Russian diesel exports—a move that would allow Moscow to sell fuel on international markets and generate revenue for its war effort. "He better damn well stop," Trump said of any Ukrainian strikes on those facilities.
The timing revealed the contours of Trump's emerging strategy. For weeks, he had blamed rising fuel prices in the United States on Ukrainian drone attacks against Russian oil infrastructure, a claim he repeated on Friday when he accused Zelenskyy of wanting "to make problems for our farmers, our ranchers, with diesel fuel." As midterm elections approached in November—contests that would determine the balance of power in Congress for the final two years of his presidency—Trump sought to deflect responsibility for inflation onto the Ukrainian leader. The diesel agreement with Putin, announced Friday, offered Moscow relief from economic pressure while Trump positioned himself as the guardian of American energy costs.
Ukraine and its European allies were still absorbing the shock of the sanctions lift when Trump called for Zelenskyy's removal. The announcement had blindsided them. In Moscow, the response was swift approval. Kirill Dimitriev, a Kremlin special economic envoy, posted on social media that Trump had joined "the many who believe that Ukraine needs leadership actually focused on peace, not Zelenskyy's warmongering."
Hours after Trump's statement, Russian forces struck the Zaporizhzhia region with five glide bombs targeting residential buildings, killing twenty people. Zelenskyy responded on social media with bitter irony: "Today, Russia expressed its thanks for the lifting of sanctions on diesel exports by dropping five glide bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia." The attack underscored the immediate human cost of the policy shift—civilians dead while their president faced calls for his removal from the American leader whose support Ukraine depended on.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
I suggest they get a new leader who can make a peace deal. For some reason Zelenskyy never does.— President Trump
Today, Russia expressed its thanks for the lifting of sanctions on diesel exports by dropping five glide bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia.— President Zelenskyy, on social media
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