Updated

On October 10, President Trump told reporters that Ukraine needs a new president who could 'make a deal' with Russia, repeating the sentiment in separate remarks that it was 'time' for a leadership change in Kyiv. When told that Zelensky had called him weak over the US-Russia diesel agreement, Trump responded dismissively, saying 'OK, go ahead.' The comments, coming amid rising tension between Washington and Kyiv over the diesel deal with Moscow, were seen as an escalation in Trump's public pressure campaign against Zelensky and a further strain on U.S.-Ukraine relations.