Trump rules out 'imperfect' deal with Iran, urges Ukraine to halt attacks on Russian oil sites

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been urged by US President Donald Trump to cease targeting Russian diesel supplies amid a growing fuel shortage in the nation. The Ukrainian long-range drones have struck several Russian oil refineries, prompting Moscow to impose a ban on diesel exports until the end of September. During remarks at the Irish Open golf tournament in County Clare, Trump remarked, "President Zelenskyy has to do one thing: he has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia.

Let him go after targets but not diesel fuel, because he s causing a shortage of diesel fuel." Zelenskyy had previously stated that Ukraine is prepared to respond to any Russian operations, warning that Russia would face similar consequences if it strikes Ukraine's energy system during the winter. Ukrainian forces have recently targeted oil refineries in Russia's Krasnodar Krai and the Republic of Tatarstan, with over 60 strikes on at least 24 refineries reported, according to the Caspian Policy Centre think tank.

The objective of these strikes is to increase the economic impact of the war for Russia, a major oil producer, and to restrict fuel supplies to its military. This comes in response to Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Trump attempted to distance the US from Iran's war, which has contributed to rising energy prices, stating, "This isn't done by the Middle East, this is done by what's happening with Russia and Ukraine."

The war between Russia and Ukraine began in February 2022 and remains in a stalemate. Despite Trump's promise to end the conflict in 24 hours during his presidential campaign, he has been unsuccessful in brokering an agreement.