Trump urges Zelenskyy to halt strikes on Russian diesel infrastructure
The US president says Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries are worsening fuel shortages and prices, while Kyiv maintains the facilities are legitimate military targets.
US President Donald Trump has urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop attacks on Russian diesel infrastructure, arguing the strikes are contributing to global fuel shortages and higher prices.
Trump said he had discussed the issue with Zelenskyy and that Ukraine should target other sites instead. He attributed rising US diesel prices primarily to disruption linked to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, rather than the separate conflict involving Iran.
Ukraine has conducted long-range drone attacks on Russian oil refineries in recent months, reducing fuel production and contributing to shortages across Russia, according to the report. Kyiv says the facilities are legitimate military targets and that Russia’s oil industry funds and supports its invasion.
The International Energy Agency said disruptions to Russia’s refining system and a near-halt to product exports following intensified Ukrainian attacks had worsened diesel supply losses. The agency also cited disruption to oil flows through the Persian Gulf and Red Sea amid the conflict involving Iran.
US diesel reached a reported national average of US$6.06 a gallon on Friday, according to the American Automobile Association, up from US$3.71 a gallon a year earlier. The source package does not include a response from Ukraine to Trump’s latest remarks.
