After strong criticism from Zelenskyy, Trump said Saturday: “I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal, because he could have made many deals.”
Trump has sought to blame the Ukraine conflict, rather than his own assault on Iran, for a global fuel shortage that has driven diesel prices to record highs since the U.S. launched the Middle East war in February.
Zelenskyy reiterated Sunday that he was ready to halt strikes on Russian refineries if the Kremlin halts its own attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
“We are ready for energy ceasefire, not to attack energy — both sides,” he said in interview on ABC News’ “This Week.” He added that if Russia wants an energy ceasefire, “we are open for this.”
“Don’t attack us,” he said. “Don’t kill our children. We will stop attack your diesel.”
The Ukrainian president also told ABC News he would hold elections if Russia agreed to a 60-day ceasefire.
Zelenskyy said “it’s up to Ukrainians” to choose their leader and noted that Putin would also like to change who is leading Ukraine.
He said it is easy for Ukraine to be blamed for higher fuel prices “when everybody in the world understands [that] because of the war in [the] Middle East, the prices are rising.”
Zelenskyy was also asked on ABC News why Trump and Elon Musk blamed the Ukrainian president for the war’s continuation.
“Because these people can’t find a key how to stop Putin, because it’s more difficult to stop Putin than to pressure others, because it’s more simple to speak about the prices and connect it with Ukraine,” he responded, pointing to how the war in Iran was leading to higher fuel prices.
