US President Donald Trump on Sunday urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to halt strikes targeting Russian oil refineries and diesel infrastructure, warning that the ongoing attacks were exacerbating a worldwide supply crunch.
The appeal followed a milestone on Friday, when average diesel prices across the United States surpassed USD 6 per gallon, establishing a record high. High fuel costs continue to weigh heavily on American voters ahead of the congressional mid-term elections scheduled for November.
For months, Ukraine has targeted Russia’s energy sector with long-range drone strikes, maintaining that the industry finances and fuels Moscow’s military campaign. Simultaneously, Russia has intensified aerial bombardments against Ukraine, with both nations reporting casualties and structural damage following overnight drone assaults.
Trump made the appeal while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Irish Open at his Doonbeg golf club, after being asked whether he had spoken with Zelenskyy following a recent conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Stating that “Mr Zelenskyy has to do one thing”, Trump added, “He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia.”
He further remarked, “We spoke to Mr Zelenskyy about it. There are plenty of other targets. Don’t hit diesel fuel, because that’s hurting, that’s hurting the world.”
The strain on global supplies has accumulated over several months. Ukrainian strikes have triggered fuel rationing across regions of Russia and prompted Moscow to suspend diesel exports in July, further constricting an already tight international market. This crunch has intensified following the war on Iran, which severely disrupted oil shipments moving through the Strait of Hormuz.
An International Energy Agency (IEA) report published on Friday revealed that net exports of diesel and allied fuels from Gulf countries in August dropped to “just over a quarter” of pre-war levels recorded before the war on Iran began in February.
The IEA noted, “Disruptions to Russia’s refining system and a near-halt to product exports following intensified Ukrainian attacks have compounded these losses.” The agency added that in February, combined net exports originating from the Gulf and Russia represented nearly 45 per cent of global seaborne trade within those fuel categories.
Kyiv has launched record numbers of drones targeting Russian oil facilities situated hundreds of kilometres from the border, while Moscow has countered with a surge in long-range missile barrages, causing a sharp rise in civilian fatalities.
The latest remarks coincide with continuing overnight waves of drone strikes from both sides. Local officials confirmed that two people were killed in Russia’s Tatarstan region, while Ukrainian authorities documented Russian drone attacks directed at the Black Sea port of Odesa, alongside a fire near a border crossing shared with Poland.
According to CBS News, the Ukrainian drone campaign has driven fuel rationing across Russia despite its status as a major oil and gas exporter. Additional Ukrainian operations have also targeted prominent Russian online retail platforms.
