In a phone call on or before 21 September 2026, US President Donald Trump pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop striking Russian fuel infrastructure, framing the issue around diesel availability. The call reflects diverging priorities between Washington and Kyiv on Ukraine's war strategy.
President Trump called on Ukraine to stop attacking Russian oil refineries on September 13, 2026, claiming the strikes caused global fuel shortages and contributing to record US diesel prices of $6.27/gallon by September 15. The Kyiv Independent disputed his reasoning, and experts noted Ukraine's attacks targeted Russian military supply lines.
President Trump repeatedly called on Ukraine to stop striking Russian diesel refineries between September 13–15, 2026, attributing global diesel shortages and price spikes to the Ukrainian military operations. Multiple news outlets covered Trump's claims linking refinery attacks to rising fuel costs.
On September 13, 2026, President Donald Trump called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to halt attacks on Russian diesel refineries, claiming the strikes are causing global diesel fuel shortages and price increases. Trump stated the attacks are "hurting the world" by triggering fuel scarcity.