Trump says it is "time for Ukraine to get a new president" and turns on Zelensky after the Russian diesel deal

According to Axios, a US official claims that Donald Trump concluded the agreement after Volodymyr Zelensky ignored half a dozen American requests to stop striking Russian refineries. Expressen, which also cites Axios, writes that Zelensky would have proposed to stop if Russia ceased targeting Ukrainian power plants.

Talks took place on October 9 in Miami between a Ukrainian delegation, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, according to Meduza. The FAZ reports, according to Axios and an anonymous Ukrainian negotiator, that they ended earlier than expected. According to these sources, the American emissaries mentioned a cut in American intelligence if the strikes continued.

Le Monde adds, according to the New York Times, that Witkoff and Kushner had proposed to Moscow in September three economic incentives for a partial ceasefire, including the unblocking of frozen Russian assets. The 444 website explains on its part that the Ukrainian strikes aim to prevent Moscow from exporting diesel and financing the war, to the point that Russia briefly became an importer.

The media do not all report the same volume beyond the initial deliveries. According to Verslo žinios, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Russia would deliver more than 300,000 tonnes without delay, then 500,000 tonnes in November and 1 million tonnes afterwards. Expressen mentions 1.5 million additional tonnes by the end of the year. RT cites Vice Premier Alexander Novak, who says exports could reach 1 million tonnes by December. Kyiv Post talks about more than 1 million tonnes until 2027.

Meduza specifies that the US Treasury issued a temporary license valid until April 7, 2027. The ABC recalls that the agreement comes despite sanctions signed against Moscow the previous month, and The Independent sees questions about these sanctions. The Age emphasizes that it is not certain that Putin can keep his part, as Russia is struggling to feed its own economy.

On the market, the BBC writes that the war against Iran has led to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world's petroleum products pass. Telex notes that the G7 announced in early October the release of 100 million barrels from strategic reserves. 444 notes that diesel costs twice as much as it did in January 2025 in the United States.

Zelensky described the agreement as a "birthday gift for Putin," according to Axios and Ukrainska Pravda, and as "neither just nor honest," according to 444. He also said that the Ukrainian delegation had served as a "cover" for discussions between Trump and Putin; Verslo žinios translates the same word as "screen". For the strike on Zaporizhia, Geo News and G1 report 20 deaths, including three children, SBS at least 21 deaths, including four children: the tolls cited vary depending on the media.

On the Russian side, Ukrainska Pravda relays Yury Ushakov, an advisor to Putin: during the call with Trump, the Russian president ruled out peace talks and said that Russia would continue its operations until it achieves "all its objectives". RT writes that Zelensky's mandate "expired in 2024" and that he remains in power by invoking martial law. The FAZ specifies that a change in the head of state is not possible at the moment, as the Ukrainian Constitution prohibits elections during wartime.

In Europe, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis considers the Trump-Putin agreement "a slap in the face for Europe" and says he understands that Trump is "on the eve of elections," according to Index. The FAZ indicates that the German government is maintaining its sanctions against Russia. ANSA mentions "furious" criticism from Kiev and Brussels against the agreement.

In the analysis of the 20 national corpora, twelve link the statement to the price of diesel, the strikes on refineries, and the midterm elections of November 3. Six others (Ukraine, Lithuania, Sweden, Spain, Italy, France) highlight the rift between Washington and Kiev and the reactions to the agreement. This count measures what the media included in the corpus emphasize, not the opinion of their readers, and these two angles answer different questions. The Swedish and Lithuanian excerpts do not mention the midterm elections.

Several media outlets correct or complete Trump's statements. Punch points out that Trump puts the loss of Ukrainian territory at 30%, while independent estimates place the area under Russian control at around 20%, and that reliable human tolls are lacking for the two million deaths he mentions. The Tagesschau notes that he said nothing about Russian attacks on civilians and recalls that the war was triggered by Russia.

On tone, ANSA speaks of "unprecedented verbal violence". Axios sees it as the most serious crisis between the two men since their meeting in February 2025.