DOONBEG, Ireland, Sept 13 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday to stop attacking Russia’s diesel infrastructure, stating that the attacks are causing a shortage of the fuel that is “harming the world.”
A wave of Ukrainian long-range drone attacks on Russian oil refineries in recent months has reduced Russia’s fuel production, triggering gasoline shortages across the country.
Ukraine, which faces regular Russian attacks on its own energy infrastructure, says the refineries are legitimate military targets.
The national average price of diesel in the United States — used by trucks, trains, ships and agricultural equipment — rose above $6 per gallon for the first time on Thursday, according to the price-tracking site GasBuddy.
“Mr. Zelensky needs to do one thing: he needs to stop destroying the diesel stockpile in Russia,” Trump told reporters during a visit to the Irish Open golf tournament, which is being held in western Ireland at a golf course owned by his family.
“We spoke with Mr. Zelensky about this. There are many other targets. Do not hit the diesel. This is harming the world,” he said.
The global shortage “is not caused by the Middle East, but by what is happening with Russia and Ukraine,” Trump added.
Russia trimmed its forecast for oil production this year to the lowest level in 17 years and revised its fuel-export outlook for 2026 and 2027 due to the war, according to a government forecast draft analyzed by Reuters.
