Trump presses Zelenskyy to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries, cites diesel prices
Donald Trump phoned Volodymyr Zelenskyy and repeatedly asked Ukraine to stop striking Russian oil refineries, citing rising global diesel prices as his reason. Separately, Zelenskyy announced an upcoming in-person meeting with Trump in New York, and Ukraine's intelligence chief Rustem Umerov said the number of outstanding obstacles in talks to end the war has fallen to one or two key issues.
Key points
- Trump phoned Zelenskyy and repeatedly asked him to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries.
- Trump cited rising global diesel prices as the reason for the request; a source familiar with the call said the word "diesel" came up many times.
- On September 13 Trump accused Ukraine of driving up diesel prices and said Zelenskyy should strike "many other targets" instead.
- Trump claimed the diesel-price increase stemmed from Ukrainian strikes on Russia, not from his conflict with Iran.
- On September 14 Trump said Ukraine and Russia had agreed to an energy ceasefire.
- Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service chief Rustem Umerov said outstanding negotiation obstacles have narrowed from dozens to one or two key issues, and praised envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
- Zelenskyy announced a new phone call with Trump, an agreement to meet in New York, expressed doubt Moscow would honor agreements, and promised to respond to Russian strikes on Ukraine.
Why it matters
The request directly asks Ukraine to curtail a military tactic — long-range strikes on Russian energy infrastructure — that Kyiv sees as part of its answer to Russia's war. Trump frames the demand in economic terms, blaming Ukrainian strikes for rising diesel prices rather than citing military restraint, which shifts pressure on Kyiv in a domain where Western consumers feel the cost.
What happened
Donald Trump placed a phone call to Volodymyr Zelenskyy in which he repeatedly urged Ukraine to stop hitting Russian oil refineries, according to a source familiar with the conversation. Trump told Zelenskyy that global diesel prices were rising as a result, and the word "diesel" came up many times during the call. The push extends comments Trump made on September 13 accusing Ukraine of driving diesel prices higher and urging Zelenskyy to redirect strikes to "many other targets." Trump has also claimed the price rise stems from Ukrainian action rather than from his conflict with Iran, and on September 14 he asserted that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to an energy ceasefire.
In a separate development, Zelenskyy said he had a new phone conversation with Trump and that the two had agreed to meet in person in New York — a meeting Zelenskyy said "could change a lot." Zelenskyy also voiced skepticism that Moscow would stick to any agreement and said Ukraine would respond to Russian strikes. Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service, said negotiation obstacles have narrowed from dozens to one or two key issues and spoke positively of the role being played by Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian-language coverage foregrounds the economic pressure narrative around diesel prices alongside Zelenskyy's public skepticism that Russia will honor an energy ceasefire. It also highlights the reported negotiation progress and the planned New York meeting as concrete signs of movement, while preserving Kyiv's open caution about Moscow's compliance.
How international sources describe it
The English-language agency report from Azerbaijan centers the story on Trump's demand that Zelenskyy stop refinery strikes, situating it within the broader narrative of a reported energy ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.
Where reporting differs
Trump said on September 13 that the diesel-price rise was caused by Ukrainian strikes on Russia, not by his war with Iran; Zelenskyy publicly doubted that Moscow would adhere to the energy ceasefire Trump announced on September 14, a gap between the two sides' confidence in the same process.
Background
Trump has argued that the rise in diesel prices comes from Ukrainian strikes on Russia rather than from his conflict with Iran. Separately, Umerov has framed the state of negotiations positively, saying the number of outstanding obstacles has fallen from dozens to one or two key issues.