Donald Trump urges Volodymyr Zelensky to reduce Russian refinery attacks

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sep. 27 that he has again urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to reduce attacks on Russian oil refineries. Trump linked the strikes to a global fuel shortage and record-high diesel prices, telling reporters, This isn’t really a Middle Eastern problem; this is more of a Russia problem, and advising Zelensky, You gotta take it easy on the refineries.

The two leaders discussed a potential energy ceasefire during a meeting in New York last week for the U.N. General Assembly. While Trump claimed that Zelensky responded, Well, we’ll probably do that, a Ukrainian official told Kyiv Independent that Ukraine has not agreed to anything yet. The official stated that Kyiv would only stop attacking the refineries if Russia also agreed to an energy truce.

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Conditions for an Energy Ceasefire

President Zelensky stated during a Sep. 22 press conference following his meeting with Trump that Ukraine is prepared for a ceasefire, provided the Kremlin agrees to its part of the deal. We are ready. I’m not sure Russia is ready as of today, Zelensky said.

This follows a Sep. 14 post on Trump’s Truth Social platform claiming that Russia and Ukraine had already reached an agreement on an energy ceasefire. However, neither country has confirmed such a deal, and both sides have continued strikes on energy infrastructure.

Impact on Global Diesel Prices

Trump has attributed the surge in diesel prices to Kyiv’s strikes, but data suggests other primary drivers. According to the KSE institute, exports from the Persian Gulf decreased by 152 million barrels between March and August, while Russian exports fell by 68 million barrels in that same timeframe.

Luke Wickenden of the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air told the Kyiv Independent that the drop in Russian exports represents about 4% of the global seaborne diesel and gasoil trade, with Russian exports down by a third. Studies indicate the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has had a greater impact on gasoil and diesel supplies than the Ukrainian attacks.

Targeting of Energy Infrastructure

Ukraine has intensified its systematic targeting of Russian refineries since 2025 to disrupt the wartime economy of Moscow. Simultaneously, Russia has launched massive strikes against the Ukrainian energy grid. These attacks left thousands of residents in Kyiv without heat and electricity for weeks during a severe frost last winter, and Ukrainians anticipate further Russian attacks as the colder months return.