Donald Trump said Vladimir Putin "would like to see a settlement" with Kyiv, according to Le Monde.fr, which carried the remark in its live coverage of the war in Ukraine dated Sunday, October 11, 2026. The same reporting says Trump called for "a new president" in Kyiv, a position that drew a response from the United Kingdom.
Le Monde.fr reports that the UK assured Volodymyr Zelensky of its "total solidarity" in the face of Trump's demand. The exchange unfolded during the week of October 4 to 10, per the outlet's running account of the conflict.
Reaction to Trump's remarks continued to build, Le Figaro reported, with figures speaking up in support of Zelensky. The French outlet framed the wave of responses as emerging after Trump's backing for a new Ukrainian president, and quoted sentiment that Zelensky "deserves to be supported."
Coverage of the episode also ran in 20 Minutes, which characterized Trump's position as abandoning Zelensky while asserting that Putin wants the conflict to end. Courrier international included the developments in its October 11 morning briefing.
Taken together, the reports describe a diplomatic moment in which Washington's posture toward Kyiv is being read as a shift, and European allies are publicly restating their backing for Ukraine's current leadership. The material available does not include any direct response from Moscow or from Zelensky himself.
What to watch next: whether the Kremlin or the Ukrainian presidency issues an official reply to Trump's comments, and whether other European governments join the UK in publicly reaffirming support for Zelensky.
