Former US President Donald Trump has urged Ukraine to stop its drone and missile attacks on Russian oil refining facilities, warning that these strikes are intensifying a global diesel supply crunch and pushing fuel prices higher.

On September 21, reports citing informed sources revealed that Trump spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by phone the previous Sunday, pressing Kyiv to cease its assaults on Russian refineries. A senior Ukrainian official involved in the conversation stated that Trump's central message, repeated emphatically throughout the call, was simply "diesel, diesel... diesel."

According to Chinese state media, on September 20, Zelensky confirmed he had spoken with Trump by phone that day, with both sides agreeing to meet in New York. Zelensky described the upcoming meeting as one that "could bring important changes," noting that diplomatic efforts are currently progressing.

In a separate social media post on the evening of September 20, Zelensky indicated that the peace process remains Ukraine's top priority. He noted that during recent visits by Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, both sides discussed "key details" in depth. On measures to de-escalate the situation and fundamental security issues such as energy, food security, and protecting Ukrainian lives, Ukraine has developed some ideas and is working alongside the US team, with Kyiv willing to take concrete steps.

Diesel Prices Become Trump's Political Burden

Surging diesel prices are becoming a political liability for Trump ahead of the midterm elections. Infrastructure damage from the Middle East conflict, combined with persistent supply disruptions from the Russia-Ukraine war, has pushed US diesel prices to historic highs.

On September 21, data from the American Automobile Association (AAA) showed the national average diesel price had climbed to $6.505 per gallon, crossing the $6.50 threshold for the first time. According to a fresh assessment from the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE Institute), the impact of the Middle East war on global diesel, oil, and gas supplies is significantly greater than that of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Meanwhile, Ukraine continues its campaign against Russian energy infrastructure. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported on September 20 that the city had faced its "largest-ever drone attack." Zelensky subsequently posted on social media platform X that Ukraine's overnight long-range strikes on the Moscow region had produced "very significant effects," confirming that an important Russian oil industrial facility and logistics hub had been successfully hit.

No Substantive Progress on Energy Ceasefire

An agreement not to attack each other's energy facilities was once seen by Trump as a breakthrough point for de-escalating the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

On Monday, September 14, Trump stated on social media that Russia and Ukraine had agreed not to strike each other's energy targets. "Ukraine has agreed not to attack Russia's energy targets, and Russia has agreed to reciprocate," he wrote. "The rise in global diesel prices is primarily caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, not by Iran."

In response, Zelensky said on the evening of September 14 that Ukraine was ready to halt strikes on Russian targets if partners could guarantee that Russia would stop attacking Ukraine's energy infrastructure, critical facilities, and grain supply routes. He added that de-escalation measures on key infrastructure could serve as the first step toward peace, expressing hope that partners would present concrete proposals.

However, Ukraine subsequently continued its attacks on Russian energy sites. Zelensky confirmed on social media platform X that Ukrainian forces had struck the Syzran refinery in Russia's Samara region, located approximately 75 miles west of Samara and about 466 miles southeast of Moscow.

According to Ukrainian officials, no formal energy ceasefire agreement has actually been reached between Russia and Ukraine, meaning Trump's announcement was premature. Russia has also yet to give a clear response to Trump's efforts to broker an energy truce.

With diesel prices continuing to climb, the link between energy supply pressures and the Russia-Ukraine conflict has become an increasingly prominent focus for Trump, serving as his primary justification for urging Ukraine to stop targeting Russian energy infrastructure.