Trump tells Zelensky to halt strikes on Russian diesel fuel infrastructure
US President Donald Trump called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to stop Ukrainian strikes on Russian diesel fuel infrastructure, claiming they cause a global diesel fuel shortage. Trump made the remarks to journalists on September 13, 2026, during a visit to the Irish Open golf tournament at his Doonbeg club in Ireland. He attributed the global diesel deficit to the Russia–Ukraine war rather than to the US war against Iran.
Key points
- Trump called on Zelensky to stop strikes on Russian diesel fuel reserves, saying they cause a global diesel shortage.
- He made the remarks to journalists on September 13, 2026, during his visit to the Irish Open at his Doonbeg club in Ireland.
- Trump said the diesel deficit stems from fighting between Russia and Ukraine, not from the US war against Iran.
- He said he had discussed the matter with Zelensky and told him to hit other targets instead of diesel fuel infrastructure.
- Trump did not call on Vladimir Putin to end Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, now in its fifth year.
- Earlier in the same week, Trump said he had had a "wonderful" conversation with Putin, who he said wants a deal to end the war.
- In early July, Trump had characterized Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries as an "escalation capable of bringing the war to an end," suggesting a shift in position.
Why it matters
A sitting US president publicly pressured Ukraine to halt strikes on a category of Russian military-relevant energy targets during an ongoing war, signaling how Trump is framing the diplomatic track he is pursuing. His remarks attribute a global diesel shortage to the Russia–Ukraine war rather than to the US war against Iran, and they point to friction with Kyiv's long-running campaign against Russian oil and gas infrastructure that finances Moscow's war effort.
What happened
On September 13, 2026, during a visit to the Irish Open golf tournament at his Doonbeg club in Ireland, US President Donald Trump told journalists that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky must stop striking Russian diesel fuel infrastructure. Trump said the attacks are causing a global diesel fuel shortage and dismissed the idea that the deficit is linked to the US war against Iran, blaming instead the fighting between Russia and Ukraine. He said he had spoken with Zelensky about the issue and urged him to target other sites. Trump did not call on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has now entered its fifth year. Earlier in the week Trump said he had had a "wonderful" conversation with Putin, whom he described as wanting to make a deal to end the war.
Where reporting differs
Sources differ on the timing of the remarks: some give the specific date of September 13, 2026, during Trump's visit to the Irish Open at his Doonbeg club, while others describe only the Doonbeg setting without confirming a date. One supplied fact flags the date itself as disputed.
Background
Ukraine has been conducting long-range strikes, including with drones, against Russia's oil and gas sector, which finances and supplies fuel for Moscow's war effort; these strikes have caused fuel-sales restrictions inside Russia despite the country being a major oil and gas exporter. The Ukrainian General Staff has described such strikes as systematic measures to reduce the combat potential of Russian occupation forces. In recent weeks Russia has intensified its own air campaign against Ukrainian energy infrastructure, using ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones ahead of winter. Trump's claim that Ukrainian strikes are driving a global diesel deficit is contested; the supplied facts note he did not provide evidence to support it. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has been ongoing for a fifth year.