Russia 'lost control' of its diesel industry due to Ukraine's attacks, Trump says ahead of Zelensky meeting
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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 before Trump's expected meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky in New York this week, where the two leaders are set to discuss a potential mutual Ukrainian-Russian pause in strikes against energy infrastructure and targets on the Black Sea.
"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.
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.
