The global rise in diesel prices is being caused by the Russia-Ukraine war, the US president said.
Published September 13, 2026
US President Donald Trump has called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to call off a Russian diesel infrastructure strike, saying Russian diesel infrastructure, not the war with Iran, is to blame for the global fuel shortages that are driving up prices.
“One thing Mr. Zelensky has to do is stop the diesel fuel leak in Russia,” President Trump told reporters on Sunday during a visit to Ireland. “We talked about this with Mr. Zelensky. There are many other targets. Don’t attack diesel fuel. It’s damaging the world.”
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In recent months, a wave of long-range attacks by Ukrainian drones on Russian refineries has reduced the country’s fuel production and caused gasoline shortages across the country.
Ukraine, which faces regular Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure, insists the refinery is a legitimate military target. Kiev said Russia’s oil industry financed and directly fueled Moscow’s more than four-year invasion of its neighbor.
Fuel prices are weighing on Americans as they prepare to vote in the US midterm elections in November.
Diesel prices hit an all-time high in the U.S. on Friday, hitting a national average of $6.06 a gallon ($1.60 a liter), according to the American Automobile Association (AAA), which tracks daily prices. A year ago, diesel prices were $3.71 per gallon ($0.98 per liter), according to AAA.
Fuel has a significant impact on transportation costs, and is used by ships, trains and trucks to transport goods internationally, many of which are now more expensive as the costs are passed on to consumers.
President Trump said Sunday that the diesel price hike was “not driven by the Middle East, it was driven by what’s going on in Russia and Ukraine.”
Global oil prices have risen since the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran in February, cutting off oil flows from the region including the Strait of Hormuz and sparking a global energy crisis. During peacetime, about one-fifth of the world’s oil passes through this strait.
Last week, oil prices exceeded the $100 per barrel mark for the first time since July. Brent crude oil, the world benchmark, rose to $109 at one point.
According to the International Energy Agency, the war in Ukraine, along with the conflict in Iran, has also affected diesel prices.
In its monthly report released Sept. 11, the agency said the war between the United States and Iran is hampering efforts to normalize flows in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea, but the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is also particularly affecting diesel supplies.
“These losses were compounded by disruptions to Russia’s refining systems and the near-cessation of product exports as Ukraine escalated its attacks,” the agency said.
