Jay in Kyiv, 9 October 2026.
Donald is stacking the deck again
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andriy Sybiga says Volodymyr Zelenskyy has the backing of the Ukrainian people and deserves support, after Donald Trump called for Zelenskyy to be replaced as president. “He has the support of the Ukrainian people, and they have the right to decide,” Sybiga said on Saturday. “Statements from abroad only confirm that he is doing his job well. He deserves support.” Earlier, Trump said Ukraine needed “a new leader” a day after the US president struck a deal allowing Russia to supply diesel to global markets, and as Moscow launched strikes on Ukrainian civilians, killing 20 people including three children.
Trump on Saturday also called on Zelenskyy to stop hitting Russian oil refineries, saying: “He better damn well stop.” Trump made the comments to reporters at the White House. Zelenskyy on Friday had reacted furiously to Trump’s deal with Putin, calling it “terrible” and “not fair and not honest”.
Further ratcheting up the tension, Trump said Vladimir Putin would like to reach a deal on the war with Ukraine, and without evidence accused Zelenskyy of resisting a compromise. “Russia would like to make a deal … but for whatever reason, Zelenskyy does not want to make a deal,” Trump told reporters. “President Putin would like to see a settlement, strongly,” Trump said of a phone conversation he had with the Russian leader on Friday.
Source: The Guardian
