Ukraine's Zelenskiy tells ABC he will organize elections if Russia agrees to 60-day ceasefire


FILE PHOTO: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appears at an interview with Reuters, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, October 2, 2026. REUTERS/Alina Smutko/File Photo

WASHINGTON, Oct 11 (Reuters) - ⁠Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday ⁠in response to critical comments from US President ‌Donald Trumpthat he will organize Ukraine elections if Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to a 60-day ceasefire.

"Please tell Putin, give ​us two months, 60 days of ⁠total ceasefire, 60 ⁠days, and we will organize elections," Zelenskiy told ABC's "This ⁠Week."

Trump ‌on Saturday criticized Zelenskiy for attacking Russian oil refineries a day after the US ⁠temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian fuel that ​were designed ‌to deprive Moscow of revenues to fund its ⁠war in ​Ukraine.

"I think it's time for Ukraine to get a new president," Trump had told reporters at the ⁠White House.

In response, Zelenskiy said "it's up ​to Ukrainians" to choose their leader and noted that Putin would also like to change who is leading ⁠Ukraine.

He said it is easy for Ukraine to be blamed for higher fuel prices "when everybody in the world understands (that) because of the war in (the) Middle ​East, the prices are rising."

Earlier ⁠on Sunday, Zelenskiy said Ukraine was ready to ​halt attacks on Russian oil refineries ‌if Moscow ceases its own ​strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

(Reporting by Steve HollandEditing by Tomasz Janowski and Christina Fincher)

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