Trump Presses Zelensky to Halt Strikes on Russian Oil Refineries

The Financial Times reported on Monday, citing informed sources, that US President Donald Trump urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a phone call on Sunday to stop attacks targeting Russian oil refineries.

According to the sources, Trump’s request was driven by concerns that Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy facilities could worsen the global diesel supply shortage and push fuel prices higher.

In the United States, the average price of diesel surpassed $6.50 per gallon for the first time, according to figures from the American Automobile Association (AAA), which put the national average at approximately $6.505 per gallon.

Bloomberg reported that diesel prices have accelerated sharply during September, with the cumulative increase exceeding 87 cents per gallon. Prices have risen almost daily, surpassing the previous record reached in 2022.

Last week, Trump said Russia and Ukraine had agreed to refrain from targeting energy infrastructure in each other’s territory, without providing further details.

Writing on Truth Social, Trump said Ukraine had agreed not to strike Russian energy targets, while Russia had made the same commitment. He attributed most of the global rise in diesel prices to the Russia-Ukraine war rather than Iran.