Trump presses Zelenskyy to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries ahead of New York meeting

Why it matters

Trump's intervention puts a Ukrainian battlefield achievement — a sustained campaign that has knocked out a significant share of Russian refining capacity — under direct presidential pressure from Washington. By publicly citing diesel prices and the cost-of-living backdrop at home, the Trump administration is tying Ukraine's strategic choices to US domestic politics ahead of the midterm elections. The September 22 New York meeting will determine whether the energy-ceasefire idea Trump is pushing becomes a binding arrangement or remains rhetorical, with consequences for Ukraine's ability to continue degrading Russia's fuel output.

What happened

US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke by phone on September 20, hours after Ukrainian drones struck the Moscow oil refinery, which was fully halted by the attack. According to Axios sources familiar with the call, Trump repeatedly asked Zelenskyy to stop Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries because of rising global diesel prices, and the word "diesel" was mentioned many times during the conversation. The Financial Times, citing officials, reported that Trump told Zelenskyy the main issue was "diesel, diesel, diesel."

The two leaders agreed during the call to meet in person on September 22 in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. On September 21, Trump posted on Truth Social that Russia had "lost control" of its diesel industry because of the war with Ukraine, that a significant number of Russian oil refineries had been blown up and were at least temporarily out of operation, and that the "senseless and endless" war must end; he also wrote that 25,000 people, mostly soldiers, die every month as a result of the war.

Zelenskyy responded on X on September 21 that Ukraine had been seeking peace from the first minute of the full-scale invasion and had put forward dozens of diplomatic proposals to end the war with security guarantees. He said Ukraine is ready to take de-escalation steps, but only if Russia stops attacks on Ukraine's energy sector, critical infrastructure, and food exports, and that he intends to discuss specific proposals with partners at the UN General Assembly in New York.

The call followed a series of earlier public statements in which Trump, on September 13, urged Zelenskyy to stop strikes on Russian diesel production, and on September 14 claimed Ukraine and Russia had agreed not to attack each other's energy infrastructure — a claim Zelenskyy said was conditional on partner guarantees that Russia would comply. Trump also signed the Lindsey Graham sanctions law against Russia and Iran on September 19, days before the call. Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure have continued during this period; on September 19 an attack in Odesa Oblast left more than 100,000 residents without electricity.

According to US government statements quoted in coverage, average US diesel prices reached a record $6.50 per gallon on the relevant Monday, up from $3.19 a year earlier, against the backdrop of a US-Iran conflict and Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz since February 2026. Forbes Ukraine analysts estimated that Middle East events limiting about 10% of global oil supply, rather than Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, are the main driver of the fuel crisis; they assessed the impact of Ukrainian strikes at about 1.5%.

How Ukrainian sources describe it

Ukrainian coverage frames the phone call as Trump personally pressuring Zelenskyy to give up strikes on Russian refining that Ukrainian reporting portrays as both militarily and economically successful. Forbes Ukraine analysts and other Ukrainian sources challenge the White House's causal story on diesel prices, pointing to the US-Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz blockade since February 2026 as the main driver, and estimate Ukrainian strikes account for only about 1.5% of global supply disruption. The same outlets cite expert voices suggesting that domestic political pressure ahead of the US midterm elections is shaping Trump's stance.

Zelenskyy's response is presented as constructive — readiness for de-escalation steps and dozens of diplomatic proposals on the table — but conditional: Ukraine will reciprocate only if Russia halts attacks on Ukrainian energy, critical infrastructure and food exports, with partner guarantees. Coverage emphasizes Russia's continued strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, including the September 19 attack in Odesa Oblast that left more than 100,000 residents without power, as evidence that a unilateral Ukrainian halt would be one-sided.

How international sources describe it

Western reporting focuses on the domestic political backdrop behind Trump's pressure on Zelenskyy — record US diesel prices and the upcoming midterm elections — alongside the apparent contradiction of Trump publicly citing Russian refinery damage in the same week he asks Ukraine to stop causing it. International outlets center the September 22 New York meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, with The Guardian framing Trump as preparing to push Zelenskyy for an energy ceasefire during the in-person talks. Coverage also notes Trump's signing of the Lindsey Graham sanctions law against Russia and Iran on September 19 as context for his simultaneous calls for de-escalation on energy.

Where reporting differs

Sources disagree on the date of the Trump–Zelenskyy phone call: some report September 20 and others September 21. Different casualty figures are reported for the September 20 drone attack on Moscow — most sources say two killed and 20 injured, while The Guardian reports three killed. The White House, including Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, attributes rising diesel prices mainly to Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries; Forbes Ukraine analysts and other Ukrainian sources instead identify Middle East events and the Strait of Hormuz blockade (ongoing since February 2026) as the primary driver, with Ukrainian strikes accounting for only about 1.5% of supply disruption.

Background

Trump has repeatedly publicly called on Zelenskyy to stop strikes on Russian diesel production since September 13, citing rising global prices. On September 14 Trump claimed Ukraine and Russia had agreed not to attack each other's energy infrastructure; Zelenskyy conditioned Ukraine's participation on partner guarantees that Russia would comply. On September 19 Trump signed the Lindsey Graham sanctions law targeting Russia and Iran, expanding options for sanctions, tariffs and other restrictions on Russia.

On September 20 Ukrainian drones struck the Moscow oil refinery, which was fully halted by the attack; Russian authorities described it as the largest drone attack on the capital, with Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin saying air defenses shot down 450 drones. The Trump–Zelenskyy phone call took place hours after the strike. Average US diesel prices reached a record $6.50 per gallon on the relevant Monday, up from $3.19 a year earlier, against the backdrop of a US-Iran conflict and Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz since February 2026. Forbes Ukraine estimated that Middle East events limiting about 10% of global oil supply, rather than Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, are the main driver of the fuel crisis; they assessed the impact of Ukrainian strikes at about 1.5%.