Trump Asks Zelensky To Stand Down On Russian Refinery Strikes As Diesel Prices Soar

President Trump revealed he has personally asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to stop targeting Russian diesel refineries, arguing that Ukraine's strikes are driving up fuel costs around the globe and causing pain far beyond the battlefield.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while returning to the United States from Ireland on Sunday evening, Trump explained his reasoning bluntly, noting that a significant portion of the world's diesel supply comes from Russia and that ongoing Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries have made that supply harder to come by.

"The problem I have with Ukraine and Russia is that a lot of the diesel comes, and that's one where there's a big up. It comes from Russia, and the Russian plants are being hit by Ukraine. And I've asked President Zelensky not to hit the diesel plants, refineries," Trump told reporters.

He went on to argue that the resulting price spikes were doing damage well beyond the two countries involved in the conflict.

"The diesel is being driven up by the fact that it's having a hard time coming out of Russia. And that's the case that hurts the world. We gotta stop it," Trump said.

The president did not indicate how, or if, Zelensky responded to his request.

The comments come as U.S. diesel prices have climbed to roughly $6.20 per gallon according to AAA, a spike that has left some truck drivers shelling out close to $1,000 to fill a single tank.

Ukraine has increasingly relied on long-range drone strikes against Russian oil refineries as part of its broader war effort against Russian President Vladimir Putin, who launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine back in 2022 and has continued to assert claims over Ukraine's eastern Donbas region as well as parts of southern Ukraine.

Russia's war isn't the only geopolitical factor driving fuel costs higher, however. Trump's ongoing conflict with Iran has also contributed to rising prices, even though the United States imports very little oil through the Strait of Hormuz. Notably, the U.S. produces the vast majority of its diesel domestically and does not import finished diesel fuel directly from Russia in the first place.

During the same set of remarks to reporters, Trump also addressed the use of Flock surveillance cameras, telling the press he understands the privacy and security concerns some have raised about the technology, but that overall, he supports it.

The president's direct appeal to Zelensky underscores the delicate balancing act facing the administration as it navigates supporting Ukraine's war effort while also managing the economic fallout of rising global energy prices at home.