Speaking at his golf course in Doonbeg, Ireland, President Donald Trump on Sunday called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to halt strikes against Russian oil refineries. Trump stated the attacks were causing a diesel fuel shortage and urged Zelenskyy to select other targets.
The remarks follow long-range Ukrainian drone and missile strikes against Russia’s energy sector. Kyiv says the operations disrupt the funding and fuel supply for the Russian military. Ukrainian authorities reported Sunday strikes on a refinery in Sloviansk-on-Kuban and facilities in Nizhnekamsk. Russian officials said two civilians were killed and 14 others injured in Tatarstan after a drone struck a tree near their vehicle. The Russian Defense Ministry said it shot down 389 Ukrainian drones overnight across several regions and Crimea.
Ukraine claims the targeted facilities in Ryazan and the Perm region alone have a combined annual production capacity of 220 million barrels. In Russia, the strikes have led to fuel rationing and disrupted services from online retailers such as Wildberries. Meanwhile, Russia has ramped up its own air campaign against Ukraine's power grid ahead of winter.
Trump recently met with Zelenskyy in Washington, where they discussed granting licenses for Ukraine to manufacture Patriot air defense systems. However, the latest comments indicate a limit to his support for Kyiv's economic tactics against Russian energy. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Sunday that Moscow is open to restarting peace talks involving the U.S. as early as October. U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff recently met with both Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy. Kushner noted that territorial concessions remain a primary point of disagreement. While the envoys are expected to return to Kyiv, no date has been set. Ukrainian military leadership has called for expanded precision strike capabilities to prevent further Russian advancements.