Trump tells Zelensky to stop attacking Russian fuel facilities

U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky must stop attacking energy and fuel facilities in Russia, warning that the strikes are contributing to fuel shortages.

“Mr. Zelensky has to do one thing: He has to stop destroying the diesel fuel in Russia,” Trump said. He added that the U.S. administration had discussed the attacks with Zelensky, saying, “We don’t want him attacking the diesel.”

Russia imposed restrictions on diesel exports in July to protect domestic supplies after Ukrainian drone attacks damaged its refineries. The restrictions are scheduled to remain in place until September 30.

The comments come as fuel prices have risen sharply in the United States. This week, the price of diesel reached a record $6 per gallon for the first time, according to GasBuddy, compared with a national average of $3.70 a year earlier. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright linked the record prices to several factors, but said the destruction of Russian refineries by Ukraine had been the main one.

Meanwhile, Europe’s diesel inventories are approaching their lowest levels in years, according to Morgan Stanley. In early September, Trump’s adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff traveled to Moscow and Kyiv for talks aimed at resolving the conflict. At the same event Friday, Kushner described the trips as “very successful.”