Trump asked Zelensky to "slow down" strikes on Russian oil refineries

US President Donald Trump said he asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to reduce the intensity of strikes on Russian oil refineries. The US president linked his request to diesel fuel shortages and high prices on the world market.

Trump said this on Sunday, September 27, during a conversation with Fox News on the sidelines of the Presidents Cup tournament near Chicago, Bloomberg News reports.

"I spoke with President Zelensky. I said: 'You need to slow down a little with the refineries'", Trump said.

According to the US president, Zelensky allegedly responded that Ukraine "probably will". There is currently no public confirmation of such a response from Zelensky or the Office of the President of Ukraine.

Trump explained that explosions and shutdowns of Russian refineries reduce diesel fuel supply. Bloomberg notes that the US president directly placed part of the responsibility for the diesel shortage on Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil refining. At the same time, the Trump administration is considering temporarily restricting diesel exports from the US to curb domestic prices.

This is not the first such statement by the US president. On September 13, Trump publicly called on Zelensky not to attack Russian diesel refineries, saying that Ukraine could choose "other targets". Then he claimed that strikes on Russia's oil refining were exacerbating the global diesel shortage. Fox News quoted him as saying that the attacks "harm the world".

The issue has become especially sensitive for the White House due to the sharp rise in fuel prices in the US. According to the US Energy Information Administration, the average retail price of diesel on September 21 rose to $6.529 per gallon — the highest level in the agency's records, which go back to 1994.

US authorities and energy agencies attributed the high diesel prices to a combination of factors. Among them are supply disruptions in the Middle East due to the conflict around Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, as well as reduced global oil product supplies from Russia after attacks on its refineries. EIA notes that global distillate inventories remain tight due to the loss of some supply from the Middle East, Russia, and China.

On September 22, Trump also said he was considering restricting US diesel exports. Bloomberg then wrote that the wars around Iran and Ukraine were among the factors that pushed US fuel prices to record levels.

At the same time, positions within the US administration regarding Ukrainian strikes are not uniform. US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said on September 27 that, in his opinion, strong strikes by Ukraine on Russian territory help bring the parties closer to negotiations.

Sources: Bloomberg, Fox News, White House broadcast