Trump Says Ukraine Should Get a New Leader as Zelensky Attacks Russian Diesel Deal

Since Trump announced a Russian diesel supply deal after his Oct. 9 call with Vladimir Putin, the argument with Kyiv has moved from diplomatic complaint to open personal attack.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Saturday, Oct. 10, Trump said: "You know what I suggest? I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal because he could have made many deals and for some reason, he never does." He added that Zelensky "could've settled this war many times … and he chooses not to."

Before leaving for Tennessee, Trump also said Zelensky "wants to make problems for the world. 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 refinery strikes behind the fight

A U.S. official, who was not named, said Trump had been fuming at Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries before he struck the deal. The official said Washington repeatedly asked Kyiv to stop hitting Russian diesel refineries and got nowhere. According to that official, the strikes were part of what pushed Trump toward the agreement.

Kyiv has claimed strikes on five Russian refineries this week. The latest were announced after Trump's Friday post.

The deal itself, as Trump described it, is large on paper. Russia would "immediately supply" more than 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons "immediately thereafter." Another 3 million tons would come "within a short period of time." Trump said later volumes depend on "the condition of their Diesel Refineries."

The first two tranches total about 6 million barrels, roughly a day and a half of U.S. demand, according to the Energy Information Administration. Dan Pickering of Pickering Energy Partners put the likely gain at "perhaps a 5%-6% increase in supply between now and year end." Former U.S. officials told CNN it is unclear whether Russia has that much diesel to sell, given the strain from Ukrainian strikes.

Zelensky's response

Zelensky called the deal "a weak decision of strong partners." He also called it an "investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged," and warned it could signal to Russia that "it could simply keep attacking."

He said Trump announced it while envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were meeting Ukrainian officials in Miami. "I believe our team is simply being used as a smokescreen," Zelensky said. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Trump of "making a deal with the devil."

Trump's stated priority is prices. "Lower prices for Americans, especially our Great Farmers, Ranchers, and Truckers, is my Greatest Priority," he wrote. Diesel averaged $6.23 a gallon nationally, according to AAA, after a record $6.52 on Sept. 22.

The deal follows the sanctions law Trump signed in September, which allows tariffs of up to 100 percent on the top buyers of Russian energy and on countries helping Moscow evade sanctions. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Kennedy championed it. The White House has not said who is paying for the diesel or whether the November shipments will arrive before Election Day on Nov. 3.

Hasan execution livestream

A second fight is running alongside it. Hegseth announced Thursday that the firing squad execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army psychiatrist convicted in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, would be livestreamed. It is scheduled for Dec. 3 in Texas.

Hasan killed 13 people and wounded 32 in the attack. Nobody in the criticism has defended him.

Hegseth told Jack Posobiec on Real America's Voice: "He's going get a firing squad of soldiers, as it should be. We'll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it's public, because people need to understand that there's serious consequences for these types of things."

Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican, called the plan "beyond disgusting." He wrote on X: "Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do. It should not be happening in America." Democratic lawmakers also criticized it.

Pope Leo XIV called capital punishment "inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person." Alyssa Farah Griffin of "The View" said she supports the death penalty for terrorists but called livestreaming one "toxic for society." Actor Henry Winkler asked: "Live execution?? Is this where we are now?"

The debate comes after the botched lethal injection attempts on death row inmate Christa Pike in late September.

What comes next

Zelensky is scheduled to appear on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday, Oct. 11. Cruz, Kennedy and former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway are scheduled for Fox News's "Sunday Morning Futures." Tillis is also expected to discuss his objection to the execution plan.

It is not yet clear whether any Russian diesel arrives before Nov. 3, or whether Kyiv's refinery strikes continue while Trump is publicly calling for Zelensky's replacement.