Washington, DC [US], September 21 (ANI): United States President Donald Trump has renewed his pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to halt military strikes targeting Russian oil refineries, attributing the attacks to a tightening global diesel market and escalating fuel prices.
In a statement shared on Truth Social on Monday, Trump asserted that Russia had “lost control” of its diesel sector due to the ongoing conflict, noting that multiple facilities had sustained damage and were temporarily non-operational.
“Russia has unfortunately lost control of its Diesel Oil Industry due to its War with Ukraine. A large number of their Diesel refineries have been blown up and are, at least temporarily, out of commission,” Trump stated on the platform.
He further commented, “This ridiculous and never ending War with Ukraine must be ended. The whole World suffers as 25,000 people, mostly soldiers, are being killed each month. What a shame! President DJT.”
The remarks preceded a scheduled meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Following their telephone conversation on Sunday, Zelenskyy described the dialogue as significant and indicated that their upcoming discussion could bring substantial changes, with his office confirming a Tuesday meeting.
According to the Financial Times, Trump's primary focus during the call centred on diesel supply concerns. A senior Ukrainian official present during the discussion reported that Trump pressed Zelenskyy to command Ukrainian forces to suspend drone and missile operations against Russian refineries. A second senior Ukrainian official familiar with the exchange told the FT that Trump expressed strong apprehension regarding rising diesel costs and sought the normalisation of Russian supplies to global markets.
Trump previously voiced a similar public appeal on September 13, stating, “Mr. Zelenskiy has to do one thing: He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia.” He added, “There are plenty of other targets. Don't hit diesel fuel. That's hurting the world.”
The Kremlin responded positively to Trump's intervention. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow welcomed any initiative urging Kyiv to cease attacks on civilian economic infrastructure, while adding that Russia attributes global energy market disruptions primarily to instability and renewed escalation in the Gulf region.
Conversely, Ukraine has maintained that operations against Russian refineries constitute legitimate military actions, as persistent drone strikes continue to diminish Russian refining output and prompt domestic fuel shortages.
These developments followed an incident described by Russian authorities as the largest-ever drone attack targeting Moscow, during which a major oil refinery reportedly caught fire. (ANI)
''Russia has lost control'': Trump flags diesel crisis, calls for end to ''ridiculous'' Ukraine war
