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

WASHINGTON, Oct 11 (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday in response to critical comments from US President Donald Trump that 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)