Zelenskyy says the focus should be on ending the war, not on replacing him
Volodymyr ZelenskyyPresident of Ukraine
Asked by NPR whether Trump's call for a new president was an attempt to influence who leads Ukraine, Zelenskyy said the idea of replacing him began with Putin, that Trump had also raised it, and that the focus should be on ending the war.
“Because the topic - how to change me - I think it's not the new topic. Putin began it. President Trump also, yes, raised this topic. It's not something new for me. Maybe focus to end the war, not to end me.”
Interview
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
Interview
About this source
Transcript of a Weekend Edition Saturday segment in which NPR's Joanna Kakissis plays excerpts of her interview with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, recorded at his office in Kyiv earlier that week.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
NPR's Joanna Kakissis said Trump had once again called for a new president in Ukraine, that Moscow had made the same call, and that Trump had repeatedly raised Ukrainian elections, and asked whether Zelenskyy saw this as an attempt to influence who leads Ukraine. He answered that his one goal was to end the war, that security was the first priority during the war, and that Ukraine had asked for a ceasefire in order to hold elections.
After the quotation
Kakissis summed up his answer as ending the war, not him, and said he was continuing to meet European leaders to that end.
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 call for Ukraine to get a new president, first made on October 10, 2026. Zelenskyy does not denounce the call. He says the idea of changing him began with Putin, that Trump has raised it too and that it is not new to him, and he redirects the question: the focus should be on ending the war, not on him. Disputing what the debate should be about, in mild language and without a direct criticism of Trump, is closer to a challenge to the framing than to a condemnation.
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- People and groups discussed
- Donald Trump
More from this case
Read the full casePeskov says Zelenskyy has not shown the political will to end 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)”Read statement
Musk agrees it is time for Ukraine to get a new leader
“I agree, time for Ukraine to get a new leader”Read statement
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. "Zelenskyy says the focus should be on ending the war, not on replacing him". First published: 2026-10-21. Last updated: 2026-10-21. https://disputeindex.com/events/6389-asked-by-npr-whether-trump-s-call-for