Trump wants Zelensky to ease strikes on Russian refineries, Ukraine official says deal must go both ways

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sep. 27 he once again urged his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, to scale back Ukraine's attacks on Russian oil refineries amid a global rise in diesel prices.

Trump has previously attributed Kyiv's regular strikes on Russian oil refineries to a global fuel shortage that has driven diesel prices to record highs.

"This isn't really a Middle Eastern problem; this is more of a Russia problem," Trump told reporters, adding that he told Zelensky, "You gotta take it easy on the refineries."

Trump claimed Zelensky told him, "Well, we'll probably do that." The two met in New York during the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) last week, where they discussed the possibility of a Russia-Ukraine energy ceasefire.

A Ukrainian official told Kyiv Independent that Ukraine would agree to stop attacking Russian refineries, but only if Russia also agrees to the energy truce. According to the official, Kyiv has not agreed to anything so far.

Despite Trump's claims, there is little evidence that Ukraine's strikes are the main driver behind the global diesel price surge.

Studies show that the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has impacted diesel and gasoil supplies far more than Kyiv's strikes on Russian oil refineries.

Ukraine's KSE institute estimates that exports from the Persian Gulf fell by 152 million barrels between March and August, compared with a 68-million-barrel drop in Russian exports during the same period.

"Russian exports are down by a third, and the drop is equivalent to around 4% of the world's seaborne diesel and gasoil trade," Luke Wickenden of the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air think tank told the Kyiv Independent.

Ukraine has been systematically targeting Russia's oil refineries for years, and has intensified the attacks since 2025 in an effort to disrupt Moscow's wartime economy.

In turn, Russia has been carrying out massive attacks against Ukraine's energy grid. As a result, thousands of Kyiv residents were left without electricity and heat last winter amid severe frost. Some of the most impacted districts went weeks without these basic amenities.

As the colder months approach, Ukrainians are expecting another brutal winter of Russian attacks.

Trump claimed on his Truth Social platform on Sept. 14 that Ukraine and Russia have agreed to an energy ceasefire. Neither side confirmed that a deal had been made, nor have they halted strikes on energy infrastructure.

Zelensky has repeatedly asserted that Kyiv is ready for such a ceasefire if the Kremlin agrees to hold up its part of the deal.

"We are ready. I'm not sure Russia is ready as of today," said Zelensky at a press conference on Sep. 22 after his meeting with Trump.