<p>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to President Donald Trump’s calls for new leadership in Ukraine on October 8, stating that elections will be held if Russian President Vladimir Putin agrees to a two-month ceasefire.</p>
<p>In an interview with ABC News’s This Week, Zelensky emphasized that the next leader of Ukraine will be chosen by its citizens and acknowledged the challenges of conducting elections during the ongoing war with Russia.</p>
<p>“Please tell Putin: Give us two months, 60 days of total ceasefire, 60 days, and we will organize elections. Of course, we will be ready for any choice of our people, Ukrainian people,” Zelensky said.</p>
<p>Zelensky noted that the war complicates the ability to hold elections, as it prevents Ukraine from establishing the necessary security measures for residents to vote.</p>
<p>“It goes absolutely not secured and it goes out of our law, out of our constitution,” he stated. “But the main thing is to have security infrastructure for this to give the possibility of people to vote. Of course, it’s up to Ukrainians when to vote, how to do it, and to choose one or another person.”</p>
<p>Trump had called for a new leader in Ukraine on October 7, citing what he described as Zelensky’s inability or reluctance to reach a peace agreement. He suggested that Ukraine “get a new leader who can make a deal,” indicating a significant rift in Zelensky’s relationship with Washington, which has historically provided essential support for Ukraine's defense against Russia.</p>
<p>Zelensky also addressed Trump’s criticism of Ukraine for targeting Russian oil refineries, which Trump claimed has contributed to rising oil prices, rather than the U.S. conflict with Iran. Zelensky suggested that it is easier to pressure Ukraine than to hold Putin accountable.</p>
<p>“These people can’t find a key how to stop Putin,” Zelensky said. “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 when everybody in the world understands, because of the war in the Middle East, the prices are rising.”</p>
<p>“They’re increasing because of the war in the Middle East, of the blocking of [the Strait of] Hormuz,” he continued. “Because of these reasons, everybody understands. And if we want to speak with people fairly, if we want to be clear, if we want to speak with our nations openly, we have to stop. I mean, these people have to hear reality. Don’t play games with people.”</p>
<p>Ukraine has conducted strikes on Russian oil refineries recently, claiming to have disabled 51% of Moscow’s refining capacity. The strikes have raised concerns for U.S. officials, who are relying on a new diesel agreement with Russia to help lower fuel prices that have surged due to ongoing conflicts.</p>
<p>In light of these strikes, Trump accused Zelensky of targeting Russia’s oil refineries to create “problems for the world.”</p>