Trump Urges Ukraine to Halt Refinery Strikes Amid Russian Fuel Shortage

US President Donald Trump on Sunday called on Ukraine to halt its military strikes targeting Russian diesel supplies, as Moscow grapples with a deepening fuel crisis. Speaking at the Irish Open golf tournament at his Doonbeg course in County Clare, Mr Trump stated that [President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy must cease attacks on Russian diesel infrastructure.

"Zelenskyy has to do one thing: he has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia," Mr Trump said. "Let him go after targets but not diesel fuel, because he's causing a shortage of diesel fuel."

The remarks follow months of long-range drone attacks by Kyiv on Russian oil facilities, prompting Moscow to extend its ban on diesel exports through the end of September. Ukrainian forces recently struck oil refineries in Krasnodar Krai and the Republic of Tatarstan, according to officials on Sunday. The Caspian Policy Centre reports that Ukraine has launched more than 60 strikes on at least 24 Russian refineries.

The campaign aims to increase the economic cost of the conflict for Russia and disrupt military fuel supplies. In response, Mr Zelenskyy defended the strategy during the Yalta European Strategy conference in Kyiv on Friday, stating that Ukraine is capable of retaliating against Russian operations and energy strikes.

Meanwhile, the attacks have caused visible shortages in Russian cities, marked by long queues for petrol. Addressing broader economic concerns, Mr Trump argued that current energy price pressures stem from the Russia and Ukraine conflict rather than the Middle East.