Zelenskyy Defies Trump’s Call for New Ukrainian Leader Amid Ongoing Conflict
Ukraine's Zelenskyy vows to continue strikes on Russian oil refineries, rejecting Trump's criticism and blaming Russia for the war.
POLICY WIRE — Kyiv, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed to keep targeting Russian oil refineries, countering recent remarks from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who suggested that Zelenskyy should be replaced due to his handling of the conflict.
Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine would cease its attacks if Russia stopped striking its energy infrastructure, but he claimed that Moscow had no intention of halting the violence. He emphasized that any de-escalation must come with real guarantees and mutual action.
The tensions came as Kyiv intensified its campaign against Russian infrastructure, including a drone attack on a Yandex data center in Vladimir, east of Moscow. This was the third such strike on the company’s facilities in four days. Meanwhile, Trump accused Zelenskyy of failing to end the war and blamed him for high diesel prices in the U.S., even as he announced a deal to buy large quantities of Russian diesel to address fuel shortages ahead of the midterm elections.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
