‘Diesel, diesel...diesel’: Why is Trump pressing Zelensky over Russian oil attacks? US fears explained

Trump urged Ukraine to stop targeting Russian oil facilities, yet Putin remains unresponsive as he plans an aerial assault on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. The ongoing conflict raises concerns over the global diesel supply and prices amidst heightened military actions.

US President Donald Trump called his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday in order to persuade Kyiv to halt its attacks on Russia's oil refinery centres, a move that Trump thinks could further deepen the global diesel shortage and the consequential price increase, Financial Times reported citing people familiar with the matter.

Trump's message to Zelensky was about “diesel, diesel . . . diesel” and he has urged the latter to stop drone and missile attacks on key Russian oil infrastructure, a senior official who was on the call with the two leaders told the publication.

Trump is worried about the price rise of diesel and wants to ensure that Russian oil is reaching the global markets to provide a relief to the rising prices, another official told FT.

Zelensky issued a statement after the call, in which he said that it was an 'important conversation', and that his talks with Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly this week "could change a lot". As per the Ukraine president's office, the meeting will likely take place on Tuesday (local time).

"I thanked the President for Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner’s visit to Kyiv. We went through the key details thoroughly, and they saw the situation in Ukraine firsthand. The peace track is our number one priority," Zelensky also said.

Why the US is worried about strikes on Russian refineries?

While the United States is not worried about Russia losing revenue from oil, it is concerned about the knock-on effect lower supply of Russian refined petroleum products could have on the global refined-fuel market, especially diesel.

Russia is one of the biggest exporters of refined petroleum products. As per the International Energy Agency (IEA), Russia has around 6.5 million barrels/day of refining capacity. It has been the third-largest producer of refined petroleum products historically. Russian refinery throughput has been reduced almost 30 per cent year-over-year, thanks to strikes by Kyiv.

The IEA has also said that global seaborne diesel/gasoil exports averaged 4.7 million barrels/day in the first eight months of 2026, down 10% year-on-year. The Russian and the Middle East diesel exports have also fallen substantially due to the two ongoing wars.

Kyiv hits major Russian refinery

More than 1000 drones were fired by Ukraine on Russia on Sunday in the middle of the Russian parliamentary elections.

The mayor of Moscow called it the "largest ever" drone attack on the city and said that the Moscow Oil Refinery had also suffered damages.

The attack led to two deaths and injured 20, as per local governor Andrei Vorobyov.

Zelensky himself shared a video of the damage caused, He called Russia's oil facilities, one of which was hit by Kyiv's drones, as "billions of dollars that sustain the war machine".

Russia plans major airstrikes on Ukraine

Russia has not made any comment on Trump's call to Putin to halt attacks on Moscow's oil infrastructure. Neither has Putin said anything after Trump's statement that Ukraine would pause attacks on Russia's oil refineries if Moscow also promises the same.

Putin is not likely to agree to this before the winter, when he is planning to launch a major aerial bombardment of Ukraine's energy infra, FT reported citing people briefed of the Russian president's plans.

“They are hitting ours. They’ll get an answer. That’s basically how it is,” the Russian president said.

About the Author

Sayak Basu is a digital journalist with more than seven years of experience in covering general news, politics, science, cricket, and football. He brings a sharp editorial eye and a keen attention to detail in the newsroom.<br><br> Sayak focuses on breaking stories, analysis of political and sporting events, and new scientific research that is pushing the limits of civilisation.<br><br> He has earlier worked for publications like NewsBytes, Cinemaholic, Zacks Investment Research, and Deccan Herald. Sayak currently serves as an Assistant Editor at Livemint where he runs daily news operations.<br><br> Sayak has a master's degree in English Literature from Jadavpur University, Kolkata.<br><br> Based out of Bengaluru, he has a keen interest in world cinema, literature, sports, and music.

^{Get Latest real-time updates}

Stay updated with the latest Trending, India, World and US news.

HomeNewsWorld'Diesel, diesel...diesel': Why is Trump pressing Zelensky over Russian oil attacks? US fears explained