Peskov says Zelenskyy has not shown the political will to end the war
Dmitry PeskovPress secretary to Russian President Vladimir Putin
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told RIA Novosti that Trump believes it is time for a new Ukrainian president because Zelenskyy has not taken on the difficult decisions needed to stop the war.
“Trump said that he believes the time has come for a new president. Why? Because the president of Ukraine has to make very responsible and very difficult decisions to stop this war. Either Zelenskyy takes on that responsibility and shows that kind of political will, or he does not. So far he has not. (Translated from Russian. Original: Трамп сказал, что он считает, что пришло время для нового президента. Почему? Потому что президент Украины должен принять очень ответственные и очень сложные решения для остановки этой войны. Или Зеленский берет на себя такую ответственность, проявляет такую политическую волю, или он этого не делает. Пока он этого не делает)”
Reporting
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Trump says it's time for Ukraine to get a new president; Kyiv says Ukrainians will decide
On October 10, 2026, President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that it was time for Ukraine to get a new president. He said Volodymyr Zelenskyy could have settled the war with Russia many times and chose not to, and he faulted Ukraine for striking Russian oil refineries after he told Zelenskyy not to. The remarks came a day after Trump announced a deal with Vladimir Putin to bring more Russian diesel to world markets, which Zelenskyy criticized. Ukraine's foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, replied that Zelenskyy has the support of Ukrainians and that they have the right to decide. Elon Musk wrote that he agreed with Trump, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Zelenskyy had not shown the political will to make the decisions needed to stop the war. Zelenskyy told NPR that the question of replacing him was not new and that the focus should be on ending the war. On October 19, Trump said it was time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Russian-language report by Sputnik Kazakhstan, a Russian state media outlet, relaying remarks Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made to RIA Novosti on October 12, 2026.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
English-language report by Ukrainska Pravda, citing Russian state news agencies, on Dmitry Peskov's October 12, 2026 remarks.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Sputnik Kazakhstan reported that Peskov told RIA Novosti that Zelenskyy was not showing the political will needed to stop the conflict, and recalled Trump's remarks that Zelenskyy could have settled it many times and that Ukraine needs a new leader who can reach an agreement with Russia.
After the quotation
Ukrainska Pravda carried the same remarks in English that morning, citing Russian state news agencies.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is President Trump's October 10, 2026 call for Ukraine to get a new president. Peskov explains the call and backs its reasoning. After saying Trump believes it is time for a new president, he asks why and answers that the Ukrainian president has to make very difficult decisions to stop the war, then gives his own verdict that so far Zelenskyy has not. Supplying the reason for the call and saying Zelenskyy fails that test argues the call is justified, which goes beyond reporting what Trump said, so we labeled it as defending the call.
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- Volodymyr Zelenskyy
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Sybiha says Zelenskyy has Ukrainians' support and that they have the right to decide
“He has the support of the Ukrainian people, and they have the right to decide. Statements from abroad only confirm that he is doing his job well. He deserves support.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Peskov says Zelenskyy has not shown the political will to end the war". First published: 2026-10-21. Last updated: 2026-10-21. https://disputeindex.com/events/6388-kremlin-spokesman-dmitry-peskov-told-ria-novosti-that