Trump Urges Zelenskyy to Stop Strikes on Russian Refineries and Diesel Supplies
US President Donald Trump urged Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop strikes on Russian oil refineries and diesel fuel infrastructure, stating that these attacks are causing a global fuel shortage.
Yulduz Salimov2 min read
Speaking to reporters in Ireland on September 13, 2026, US President Donald Trump called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries and diesel fuel supply facilities. The White House head stated that such attacks are triggering a fuel shortage on the global market.
“Mr. Zelenskyy needs to do one thing. He needs to stop destroying diesel fuel in Russia. Let him strike other targets, but not diesel fuel, because he is creating a shortage,” Trump said.
According to Trump, halting attacks on energy infrastructure was discussed with the Ukrainian side in the context of recent US mediation efforts. Earlier, special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Russia and Ukraine to discuss potential settlement paths for the conflict. The US president also claimed that fuel shortages are driven specifically by events surrounding Russia and Ukraine, rather than the military conflict in the Middle East.
Kyiv's Reaction and Refinery Strikes
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not publicly responded to Trump’s statement at this time. However, the Ukrainian leader has previously emphasized that Russian oil refineries fund and supply Russian forces. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ukrainian forces attacked two Russian refineries overnight into September 13, 2026, including the Slavyansk oil refinery, one of the largest independent plants in southern Russia.
Olena Lennon, a national security expert at the University of New Haven, notes that stopping strikes on Russian energy targets would deprive Kyiv of one of its most effective levers of pressure against Moscow domestically.
Causes of the Global Energy Crisis
Energy market data and assessments from the International Energy Agency (IEA) show that the primary driver of the global diesel shortage remains the military conflict between the US and Iran. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of global oil volume previously flowed, caused the largest supply disruption in history. Against this backdrop, Brent crude prices exceeded $100 per barrel in September 2026, while the cost of diesel fuel in the US rose above $6 per gallon.
At the same time, attacks on Russian refineries since late 2025 have reduced Russian oil refining volumes to a 24-year low and caused internal gasoline shortages, prompting Russian authorities to impose fuel export restrictions.
Source: aa.com.tr
