Trump calls on Ukraine to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries
The U.S. president denied that his war on Iran was responsible for surging diesel prices, but a senior European official said Trump was using Kyiv as a scapegoat.
On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump urged Ukraine to cease targeting Russian oil refineries due to the soaring cost of diesel fuel worldwide. The President, touring a golf course in Ireland during a two-day visit, addressed reporters about the recent record-breaking price of diesel fuel in the United States, which reached $6 per gallon on Friday.
Trump blamed Ukraine's attacks on Russian energy sites for the surge in global fuel prices, particularly diesel. He insisted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stop drone and missile strikes on Russian diesel production sites, arguing that Ukraine's actions were causing a global diesel shortage. Trump emphasized that the conflict between the United States and Iran, which began over six months ago, was not the cause of the fuel shortage.
He pointed to Russia and Ukraine's actions as the primary reason for the problem. A senior European official familiar with U.S.-brokered mediation talks between Moscow and Kyiv suggested that the Trump administration was looking for scapegoats ahead of the crucial U.S. midterm elections in November. However, this administration previously blamed Ukrainian strikes for the high cost of diesel.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent both acknowledged that the diesel situation was challenging due to significant damage to Russian refineries caused by Ukrainian attacks. The European official argued that a mutual energy ceasefire is necessary, as Russia does not respect the current U.S. administration's calls for one.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Moscow would not pause its attacks during the ongoing talks with Kyiv.
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