Trump blames Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil refineries for US diesel crisis, floats export ban
On September 30, US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries — not the situation in the Middle East — are the main cause of rising US diesel prices. He repeated an earlier call on President Volodymyr Zelensky to halt the strikes and said he is considering a ban on US diesel exports after consulting Energy Secretary Chris Wright. Analysts and other Trump administration officials have pointed to the US war against Iran and shrinking global fuel stocks as additional or competing causes of the deficit.
Key points
- September 30: Trump told White House reporters that Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, not the Middle East, are driving US diesel prices higher.
- Trump said the Russia–Ukraine war and attacks on Russian refineries are "the biggest problem" for the diesel market, and that without such strikes the US would not have a diesel problem.
- He did not rule out a US diesel export ban, saying he is weighing the option together with Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who believes it could help diesel prices but raise prices of other goods.
- According to Reuters, US diesel prices rose 40% over the year to $6.53 per gallon.
- September 13: Trump had already called on Zelensky to stop strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, linking them to a diesel deficit.
- September 22: Zelensky said closed-door talks with Trump did not include demands that Kyiv unilaterally halt strikes on refineries; on September 28 Trump said Zelensky had agreed to reduce the intensity of such strikes.
- September 25–26: Ukrainian forces struck refineries in Perm, Novoshakhtinsk and the Ilysky refinery in Krasnodar Krai.
- Russia has extended its ban on diesel exports for producers until the end of October and previously restricted gasoline and aviation fuel exports.
- US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and Razumkov Center analyst Volodymyr Omelchenko, name the US war against Iran and shrinking global fuel stocks as the main or co-equal cause of the diesel crisis, with Ukrainian strikes only aggravating it.
Why it matters
Trump is publicly blaming Ukraine for a domestic US energy price problem and openly pressuring Zelensky to halt strikes on Russian oil refining infrastructure — a central element of Ukraine's wartime strategy. By floating a US diesel export ban he is also signaling a policy step that would have global market consequences. The remarks widen a visible US–Ukraine policy friction at a moment when energy and ceasefire talks are active.
What happened
On September 30, speaking to reporters at the White House, US President Donald Trump said Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries — not the situation in the Middle East — are driving the surge in US diesel prices. He described the Russia–Ukraine war and the attacks on Russian refineries as "the biggest problem" for the diesel market and said the US would not have its current diesel problems without those strikes. He repeated an earlier call on President Volodymyr Zelensky to halt the strikes and said he is considering banning US diesel exports, a step he discussed with Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who believes it would help diesel prices but could raise prices of other goods. According to Reuters, US diesel prices have risen 40% over the year to $6.53 per gallon. Russia has extended its own ban on diesel exports for producers until the end of October and previously restricted gasoline and aviation fuel exports. The Trump administration is also considering limits on US diesel exports, voluntary cuts in overseas supplies by American refiners, and has called on EU countries to release part of their strategic diesel reserves.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian-language coverage centers the story on Trump's repeated public blaming of Ukraine for the US diesel crisis and on his pressure on Zelensky to halt strikes on Russian energy infrastructure. Articles prominently feature Ukrainian analyst Volodymyr Omelchenko of the Razumkov Center, who says the US war against Iran — not Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries — drove diesel to a record $6, while acknowledging the strikes aggravate the deficit. The coverage also highlights Zelensky's September 22 statement that closed-door talks did not include demands that Kyiv unilaterally stop strikes on refineries, and points to continued strikes on September 25–26 on refineries in Perm, Novoshakhtinsk and Krasnodar Krai as evidence the attacks continued despite Trump's claims.
Where reporting differs
Trump attributes the US diesel price surge primarily to Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries. Analysts cited in the coverage, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and Razumkov Center director Volodymyr Omelchenko instead name the US war against Iran and shrinking global fuel stocks as the main or co-equal cause, saying Ukrainian strikes only aggravate the deficit. On a separate point, Trump said on September 28 that Zelensky agreed to reduce the intensity of strikes on Russian oil refineries, but Zelensky stated on September 22 that closed-door talks did not include any attempt to force Kyiv to unilaterally stop such strikes, and reporting notes strikes on Russian refineries continued through September 25–26.
Background
US diesel prices have risen 40% over the year to $6.53 per gallon, according to Reuters. Russia has extended its ban on diesel exports for producers until the end of October and previously restricted gasoline and aviation fuel exports to stabilize its domestic market after Ukrainian strikes on its refineries. On September 13 Trump publicly called on Zelensky to stop strikes on Russian energy infrastructure; on September 22 Zelensky said closed-door talks did not include demands that Kyiv unilaterally halt strikes on refineries; on September 28 Trump said Zelensky had agreed to reduce the intensity of such strikes. Strikes on Russian refineries nonetheless continued: on the night of September 25 facilities in Perm and Novoshakhtinsk were hit, and on September 26 the Ilysky refinery in Krasnodar Krai was struck. In early July, during the public part of a meeting with Zelensky, Trump described Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries as an escalation that could end the war; earlier in the same week as his September 30 remarks he said he had a "wonderful" conversation with Vladimir Putin, who, Trump claimed, wants a deal to end the war.