WASHINGTON (Dispatches) – U.S. President Donald Trump has called for Ukraine to hold elections, implying Volodymyr Zelensky missed opportunities to end the war with Russia. 
Trump also criticized Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil sites that have driven up global prices, a day after Washington announced a diesel supply deal with Moscow.
“I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal because he could have made many deals, but for some reason he never does,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “I think it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president.”
Zelensky, in some of his sharpest criticism yet of the White House, blasted Trump’s deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to lift sanctions on Russian diesel, which comes as soaring energy prices have become a political liability for Trump’s Republican Party ahead of next month’s midterm elections. 
The Russian government said on Saturday it had partially lifted a ban on diesel exports with immediate effect.
“Today, Russia said thank you for the lifting of sanctions on diesel exports by dropping five glide bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia,” Zelensky said after a Russian strike on that city on Saturday killed 20 people, including three children.
The southern city of Zaporizhzhia has been a regular target of Russian bombardment with strikes intensifying in the past few months.
Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel exports, which were imposed about a year ago with the intent of depriving Russia of funding for its ⁠war in Ukraine, coincides with persistently high fuel prices that have followed from U.S. war on Iran.
Kyiv had instead urged Washington to increase pressure on Moscow in an effort to force it into serious negotiations to end the 4-1/2-year war.
Trump has criticized Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, which he says have driven up global prices, while Kyiv has said it wants a total halt on all energy strikes by both sides as Moscow pummels Ukraine’s power grid.
On Sunday, Trump said that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an “energy ceasefire,” but offered no details on its terms.
Trump’s brief social media post said only that the ceasefire took effect immediately and that both sides had agreed to it. “Do not break it!” he wrote.
Zelensky said on X: “We discussed the energy ceasefire announced by President Trump. Ukraine supports the ceasefire, and it is important that Russia support it as well. We are awaiting details from the American side.” Zelenskyy added that he had spoken with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
Moscow did not immediately comment on the announcement, and the White House did not clarify the president’s post.
Zelensky, in an interview aired, said Ukraine was ready to stop striking Russian refineries if Moscow halted attacks on Ukraine’s energy system, and asked Trump to press the Kremlin to agree.