Trump Urges Zelenskyy to Halt Strikes on Russian Diesel Infrastructure as Prices Rise

Donald Trump linked the global diesel price surge to the Russia-Ukraine war and called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop targeting Russian fuel facilities.

United States President Donald Trump urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop attacking Russian diesel infrastructure, saying the strikes are contributing to a global fuel shortage and rising prices. Trump said the issue was not the conflict involving Iran.

“Mr. Zelenskyy has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia,” Trump told reporters during a visit to the Republic of Ireland. “We have discussed this with him. There are plenty of other targets. Do not hit diesel fuel; it is hurting the world.”

Recent long-range Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries have reduced fuel production and contributed to petrol shortages across Russia.

Ukraine, which has faced repeated Russian attacks on its own energy infrastructure, maintains that oil refineries are legitimate military targets. Kyiv says Russia’s oil industry finances the invasion and supplies Moscow’s forces in the more-than-four-year war.

Fuel costs are becoming a major concern for American voters ahead of the November midterm elections.

US diesel prices reached a record national average of $6.06 per gallon ($1.60 per litre) on Friday, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). A year earlier, the average was $3.71 per gallon ($0.98 per litre).

Diesel plays a major role in transportation and is used by ships, trains and trucks to move international goods. Higher fuel costs are increasingly being passed on to consumers.

On Sunday, Trump said the rise in diesel prices was not being driven by the Middle East, but by developments related to Russia and Ukraine.

Global oil prices have risen since the United States and Israel launched a war on Iran in February, disrupting regional oil flows, including through the Strait of Hormuz, and contributing to a global energy crisis. Around one-fifth of the world’s oil passes through the strait during peacetime.

Crude oil prices surpassed $100 per barrel last week for the first time since July. Brent crude, the global benchmark, reached as high as $109 at one point.

The International Energy Agency says the war in Ukraine, along with the conflict involving Iran, is affecting diesel prices.

In a monthly report published on September 11, the agency said the US-Iran war was hindering efforts to restore normal oil flows through the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea. It also said the Russia-Ukraine conflict continued to affect the market, particularly diesel supplies.

“The disruptions to Russia’s refining system and a near-halt to product exports following intensified Ukrainian attacks have compounded these losses,” the agency said.

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