Trump Remarks on Ukraine Leadership Change Shock Zelensky Aides
Bild has reported that advisers to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky were surprised and shocked by remarks from U.S. President Donald Trump about the need to choose a “new leader” for Ukraine.
According to the report, Trump’s latest comments, which implicitly raised the prospect of Zelensky stepping down, have once again drawn attention to Ukraine’s political situation amid the war with Russia and fuelled debate over the outlook for Western support for Kyiv.
Responding to questions from reporters, Donald Trump said: “I suggest the Ukrainians choose a new leader; a leader who can make a deal because he could have made a deal many times, but for some reason never does. Ukraine has so far lost 30 percent of its territory. You have lost 30 percent of your country and more than a million people have been killed. Counting both sides, more than two million people have been killed. This is a war that should never have started. I think it is time for Ukraine to choose a new president.”
According to the newspaper, the reaction within Ukraine’s presidential circle to these remarks was notable, and the report’s source said Zelensky’s advisers considered them unexpected.
The Russia-Ukraine war is regarded as one of the biggest security crises in Europe in recent years, and throughout it, Ukraine has relied on political and military support from Western countries while the fighting has continued.
