Russia 'lost control' of its oil refining industry due to Ukraine's attacks, Trump says
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Russia has effectively "lost control" of its diesel production sector as a result of the war with Ukraine, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sept. 21, urging an end to the fighting.
The comments come as President Volodymyr Zelensky travels to New York to meet Trump and discuss a potential mutual Ukrainian-Russian pause in strikes against energy infrastructure and targets on the Black Sea.
The two leaders are scheduled to meet on Sept. 22, a Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent.
"Russia has unfortunately lost control of its Diesel Oil Industry due to its War with Ukraine," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
The U.S. president added that a large number of Russian "refineries have been blown up and are, at least temporarily, out of commission," noting that the "whole world suffers" as a result of the war.
Responding to Trump on social media, Zelensky echoed his sentiment that the war must end, saying, "From the very first minute, Ukraine has sought peace."
"There are also ideas on the table for bringing peace closer, starting with strong de-escalation steps. Ukraine's energy sector, critical infrastructure, and our food exports must stop being targets for Russia, and this will lead to matching de-escalation steps on our part," Zelensky said on X.
"It will no longer be the case that only the country under attack suffers. The nature of war is now such that the aggressor will suffer as well."
Kyiv has been consistently targeting Russian oil depots and refineries throughout the war to increase pressure on Moscow's economy and undermine its ability to wage war.
In turn, Russian forces have been seeking to destroy Ukraine's energy grid through mass drone and missile strikes, causing regular blackouts across the country.
Trump previously blamed Ukrainian strikes against Russian refineries for the rising costs of diesel fuel. Experts who spoke to the Kyiv Independent disputed this claim, noting that there is little evidence to support it and that rising fuel prices have been driven mainly by the U.S.-Iran war.
Kyiv has already signaled it is ready for an energy truce, provided that Russia abides by it. The Kremlin called Trump's proposal for a pause in energy strikes a "very good idea" but tied it to additional conditions, namely the lifting of sanctions against Russia.
