Trump demanded Zelensky stop strikes on Russian oil refineries

U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries during a phone call.

This was reported by Axios, citing a source familiar with the contents of the conversation.

According to the outlet, Trump returned to the topic several times during the call, which took place on Sunday, with the word “diesel” coming up particularly often.

The American president’s concern is linked to the impact of Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries on global diesel fuel markets. As early as September 13, Trump publicly called on Zelensky to “stop destroying the diesel fuel supply in Russia,” telling reporters during a visit to the Irish Open tournament that the strikes were “hurting the whole world.”

“I asked Zelensky not to hit the plants and refineries that produce diesel fuel, because that’s what drives prices up,” Trump said last week.

The strikes have had a tangible impact on Russia’s oil industry. According to Reuters, in September half of the six largest Russian diesel-producing refineries reduced or completely halted output following Ukrainian drone attacks. Diesel prices in the United States reached record levels — partly due to supply disruptions caused by the conflicts in Ukraine and Iran.

Zelensky, for his part, defended the strikes, calling them a military necessity: he said they are aimed at reducing fuel supplies to Russian forces on the front line. Ukrainian forces have continued the campaign despite Trump’s objections — striking with drones and missiles at facilities including a Rosneft refinery in the Samara region and gas infrastructure more than 3,000 kilometers from the front line in Russia’s Yamalo-Nenets region.

The phone call lays the groundwork for a face-to-face meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, tentatively scheduled for Tuesday. The meeting will take place after Trump recently signed legislation imposing sanctions on Russia and approved the largest U.S. arms supply deal to Ukraine since taking office. Whether halting strikes on refineries will be made a condition of continued American support remains an open question ahead of the talks.