US President Donald Trump says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to reduce strikes on Russian oil refineries amid growing concerns over global diesel supplies and rising fuel prices.
Trump made the claim in an interview on Monday, saying he had asked Zelenskyy to “take it easy” on attacks targeting Russian refining facilities.
“I said, ‘You got to take it easy on the refineries as much.’ He said, ‘Well, we’ll probably do that,’” Trump said, according to Ukrainian media reporting on the interview.
Trump has repeatedly linked Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure to the global diesel squeeze. Earlier this month, he publicly urged Kyiv to stop targeting Russian diesel facilities, arguing that the attacks were contributing to a shortage and higher prices.
Ukraine has targeted Russia’s oil and gas infrastructure with long-range drone strikes as part of its effort to disrupt Moscow’s fuel supplies and war economy. The attacks have also contributed to disruptions in Russia’s domestic fuel market and reduced diesel availability on international markets.
However, Zelenskyy has previously indicated that any agreement to halt attacks on energy infrastructure would need to apply to both Russia and Ukraine. Kyiv has continued to face Russian missile and drone attacks on its own energy infrastructure.
Trump’s latest comments come as the United States and other markets grapple with record diesel prices, with the fuel crisis also being affected by disruptions to global oil supplies linked to the conflict involving Iran.