Zelenskyy Rejects Trump’s Call for New Leadership Amid Drone Strikes on Russian Data Centers
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's suggestion that Ukraine needs a new leader, asserting that only Russia is responsible for the ongoing war in his country. In response to Trump’s criticism over high diesel prices and calls for ending strikes on Russian oil refineries, Zelenskyy proposed halting such attacks if Moscow ceased targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, Kyiv continued its campaign against critical infrastructure deep inside Russia with a drone strike that shut down another Yandex data center in Vladimir. This marked the third such attack within four days and disrupted services across multiple Russian cities as well as neighboring countries like Kazakhstan and Belarus. The strikes follow an escalating pattern of long-range aerial attacks by both sides, despite ground forces remaining largely deadlocked on the front lines over 4½ years into Russia’s invasion. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha defended Zelenskyy's leadership, emphasizing that he has strong public support and is fulfilling his role effectively. Trump had previously struck a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import diesel ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, which Ukrainian officials criticized for potentially funding Russia’s war effort.
Topics: Donald Trump energy infrastructure Russia Ukraine war responsibility Zelenskyy