Donald Trump has told Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop Ukrainian attacks on Russian diesel infrastructure, saying the resulting fuel shortage is “hurting the world”.
Trump said he had already spoken to Zelenskyy and argued that Ukraine has other Russian targets it can strike.
Ukraine sees the issue differently.
Kyiv considers Russian refineries legitimate military targets because they supply fuel to Russia’s armed forces and generate revenue for the Russian state.
Ukraine’s long-range strikes have already reduced Russian fuel production and contributed to shortages inside Russia.
The economic effects are now spreading further.
U.S. diesel prices have crossed $6 a gallon for the first time.
WHEN HURTING RUSSIA HURTS EVERYONE ELSE
The disagreement exposes a difficult constraint on Ukraine’s strategy.
Destroying Russian fuel infrastructure can weaken Moscow’s ability to wage war.
The same attacks can tighten global fuel markets and raise prices for Ukraine’s allies.
Trump is now explicitly asking Kyiv to stop.
That leaves Zelenskyy with an uncomfortable question:
How do you weaken Russia’s war machine when attacking the infrastructure supporting it also hurts the countries supporting you?
Sources
Reuters: Trump tells Zelenskyy to stop hitting Russian diesel infrastructure
Associated Press: Trump urges halt to Ukraine’s Russian diesel strikes
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