On 13–14 September 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump publicly urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to cease strikes on Russian diesel refineries (Al Jazeera). Making his remarks at the Irish Open on his Doonbeg golf course and posting on social media, Trump claimed that the ongoing attacks were creating a global diesel shortage and driving up prices (New York Post). He stated that he had spoken with Zelenskyy about the issue and asserted that there were plenty of other viable targets available for Ukrainian forces (Kyiv Independent).
Market Impacts and Export Restrictions
Trump blamed Ukraine directly for the recent diesel price spike rather than Iran, maintaining that the Russia-Ukraine war is the primary cause of the shortage (The Hindu). Amid these market pressures, U.S. diesel averages were recorded at $6.20 per gallon by Al Jazeera and $6.06 per gallon according to the New York Post.
For months, Ukrainian forces have targeted the Russian oil and gas industry with long-range strikes (CBS News). These military actions successfully forced Russia to ban diesel exports starting in July (Al Jazeera). Simultaneously, Russia has ramped up its own air campaign against Ukraine (CBS News), targeting fuel stations near the front line (Al Jazeera).
Data from the International Energy Agency quantified the extent of the tightening supply, noting that net exports of diesel and gasoil from Gulf countries in August dropped to just over a quarter of pre-war levels (The Hindu). Furthermore, the agency reported that combined exports of diesel and gasoil from the Gulf and Russia in August stood 1.6 million barrels a day lower than in February (The Hindu).
Unverified Infrastructure Pacts and Conflicting Claims
Amid the public pressure regarding fuel markets, a single report claimed that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to refrain from attacking each other’s energy infrastructure (Yahoo). According to that specific account, Trump stated that Ukraine had agreed not to hit Russian energy targets while Russia agreed to spare Ukrainian energy facilities (Yahoo).
However, no other corroborating sources have confirmed the existence of any formal agreement between Russia and Ukraine to halt attacks on energy infrastructure (Yahoo). Consequently, the status of any mutual cessation remains unverified across all other reporting (Yahoo).
Additionally, public reports from the period do not document a formal response from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy concerning Trump’s demand to cease refinery strikes (Kyiv Independent). The precise causal weight assigned to Ukrainian drone attacks versus broader regional conflicts in generating the global diesel shortage also remains an open question among analysts (The Hindu).
Further developments hinge on whether Ukrainian military command alters its long-range targeting strategy against Russian oil facilities in response to international pressure, or if additional diplomatic channels clarify the reported infrastructure arrangements (CBS News).