US President Donald Trump on Monday said Ukraine and Russia had agreed to stop attacking each other's energy targets, linking the conflict to rising diesel prices and global fuel supply concerns.
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Trump made the claim in a post on Truth Social, a day after he urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to halt strikes on Russian energy facilities.
"Ukraine has agreed not to hit Russian Energy targets. Russia has agreed to do, likewise! The World’s Diesel price rise is mostly caused by the Russia/Ukraine War, not Iran."
Trump had earlier said he asked Zelenskyy to stop the strikes, arguing that attacks on Russia's diesel production were contributing to a fuel shortage.
Speaking to reporters at his Doonbeg golf club in Ireland, Trump was asked whether he had spoken to Zelenskyy after his recent conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Mr. Zelensky has to do one thing. He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia,” Trump said, adding that Ukrainian forces had “plenty of other targets” they could strike.
Trump said destroying Russian diesel production capacity was “hurting the world”, according to Bloomberg.
His comments come as fuel prices in the US remain under pressure. Diesel prices hit a record average of more than $6 a gallon on Friday, with Ukraine's strikes on Russia's energy sector and disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz tightening global supplies.
