Trump blames Ukraine for US fuel price rises, citing Russian refinery strikes
On October 5, US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries are driving up US gasoline prices. He also blamed the Democratic Party for refinery closures in US "blue states," pointing to California as an example. The post follows earlier Trump calls for Kyiv to scale back attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, with conflicting accounts from Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky over whether such a request was made or accepted.
Key points
- On Monday, October 5, Trump posted on Truth Social blaming Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries for rising US gasoline prices.
- Trump said the Strait of Hormuz is no longer the cause of rising prices because record oil volumes are entering the market daily.
- Trump blamed the Democratic Party for closures of US refineries in "blue states," naming California as an example.
- In late September, Trump said he asked Zelensky to slow strikes on Russian refineries and claimed Zelensky agreed; Zelensky said on September 22 that no such request was made at closed talks.
- Since September 22, Ukrainian drones have attacked at least five oil refineries in Russia.
- Russia has extended its diesel export ban for producers through the end of October and restricted gasoline and aviation fuel exports.
- US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Energy Secretary Chris Wright have publicly linked Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure to an energy crisis.
Why it matters
By publicly attributing US fuel price increases to Ukrainian military action, Trump is escalating political pressure on Kyiv over its strikes on Russian energy infrastructure. The dispute sits alongside repeated Trump demands that Ukraine scale back or halt such strikes, and runs parallel to administration messaging linking Ukrainian action to a wider energy crisis that also involves the war with Iran.
What happened
On Monday, October 5, 2026, US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries are causing rising US gasoline prices. In the post he argued that the Strait of Hormuz is no longer the reason for price increases because record volumes of oil are now reaching the market almost daily, and that the key issue is "refineries" — Russian refineries being blown up by Ukraine. He separately blamed the Democratic Party for closures of US refineries in "blue states," pointing to California as an example. The post came amid political pressure on Trump over rising energy prices, which Reuters reported were fueled by a sharp increase after Tehran blocked access to the Strait of Hormuz, with Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure cited as an additional factor, particularly for diesel. Since September 22, Ukrainian drones have attacked at least five oil refineries in Russia, and Moscow has extended a diesel export ban for producers through the end of October while restricting gasoline and aviation fuel exports. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure are causing an energy crisis, with the war involving Iran as a second cause; US Energy Secretary Chris Wright has said the US is recording record diesel prices because Russian refineries suffered significant damage and Russia has stopped exporting fuel.
Where reporting differs
Trump and Zelensky give conflicting accounts over whether Trump asked Kyiv to stop or scale back strikes on Russian oil refineries, and whether Zelensky agreed. Trump has said he made such a request and that Zelensky responded "we will probably do that"; Zelensky said on September 22 that no such request was made at closed-door talks, and after the meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York said Trump did not ask him to stop the attacks.
Background
Under normal conditions, about one-fifth of global oil supplies transit the Strait of Hormuz. On September 13, Trump publicly called on Zelensky to stop strikes on Russian diesel fuel, claiming they were causing a shortage. In late September, Trump said he had asked Zelensky to slow strikes on Russian oil refineries and that Zelensky had agreed; Zelensky said on September 22 that no such request was made at closed talks. After a reported September 20 phone call, the two agreed to meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York; after that meeting Zelensky said Trump did not ask him to stop the attacks. The Trump administration is weighing options to lower prices, including restricting or banning US diesel exports and asking the EU to tap strategic diesel reserves; Trump has said he was considering a US diesel export ban.