Trump Urges Zelenskyy to Halt Attacks on Russian Diesel Infrastructure Amid Record Global Fuel Prices

United States President Donald Trump has urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to halt strikes on Russian diesel infrastructure, arguing that these attacks are driving up global fuel prices rather than the ongoing conflict with Iran.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday during a trip to the Republic of Ireland, where he visited Trump International Golf Links and Hotel in Doonbeg, Ireland, President Donald Trump stated, “Mr. Zelenskyy has to do one thing: he has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia.” He added, “We spoke to Mr Zelenskyy about it. There are plenty of other targets. Don’t hit diesel fuel. That’s hurting the world.”

Recent months have seen a wave of long-distance Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Russian oil refineries, reducing the country's fuel production and causing petrol shortages across Russia. While Ukraine contends that refineries are legitimate military targets and that Russia’s oil industry helps fund Moscow’s more-than-four-year-old invasion, these strikes have had wider economic repercussions.

Soaring fuel prices are putting pressure on Americans ahead of the midterm US elections in November. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), the national average for diesel in the US hit an all-time high of $6.06 a gallon ($1.60 per litre) on Friday, a sharp increase from $3.71 a gallon ($0.98 per litre) a year prior. Because diesel is heavily relied upon by ships, trains, and trucks to transport international goods, these elevated costs are ultimately passed down to consumers.

Addressing the price surge on Sunday, President Donald Trump remarked that the increases “isn’t done by the Middle East, this is done by what’s happening with Russia and Ukraine.” Concurrently, global oil prices have also risen due to the war launched by the US and Israel on Iran in February, which disrupted regional oil flows and the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a global energy crisis where crude oil crossed the $100-per-barrel mark.

According to the International Energy Agency, both the Middle East conflict and the war in Ukraine are impacting diesel supplies. A monthly report published on September 11 noted that while the US and Iran conflict hampers normalisation efforts in the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, intensified Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s refining system have further compounded these global losses.