US President Donald Trump said on Monday, October 19, 2026, that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may need to hand negotiations to someone else as Kyiv seeks to end the war with Russia. "Maybe it's time for Zelensky to get somebody else to negotiate," Trump told reporters, according to the South China Morning Post.
The Post reported that Trump had already called on October 10 for Ukraine to replace its president. His latest comments were made on the same day the report was published.
Trump also said Russia has been "fine" with regard to Ukraine and that "They haven't been doing much." The remarks follow two recent moves by Washington on the conflict. On October 18, the administration waived Russia sanctions and tariffs for 60 days, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US intelligence sharing with Ukraine resumed, according to Zelenskyy.
The source packet did not include the full article text, so it is unclear what Trump meant by replacing the negotiator, who he had in mind, or whether Kyiv has responded.
This dispatch is based on a public report by South China Morning Post. We label it reported; a report is not an independent confirmation.
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