Luis Torrado fills his tractor-trailer with diesel at a truck stop on September 11, 2026, in Miami, Florida. U.S. diesel prices have climbed above $6 a gallon for the first time on record.
Joe Raedle | Getty Images News | CNBC
U.S. President Donald Trump has called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop attacking Russian oil refineries, arguing that the strikes are “hurting the world” as fuel supply disruptions linked to the wars in Ukraine and Iran drive American diesel prices to a historic high.
Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russian oil facilities and transportation infrastructure in recent months, aiming to increase the economic and military pressure on Moscow after more than 4½ years of war.
The strikes have sharply reduced Russia’s refining capacity and contributed to widespread fuel shortages. Moscow recently extended a ban on diesel exports through the end of September in an effort to protect domestic supplies and stabilize the market.
“Mr. Zelenskyy has to do one thing. He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia,” Trump said during an official visit to Ireland on Sunday.
“Let him go after targets but not diesel fuel because he’s causing a shortage of diesel. This isn’t done by the Middle East; this is done by what’s happening with Russia and Ukraine.”
A spokesperson for Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry was not immediately available to comment when contacted by CNBC on Monday morning.
Ukraine, which is bracing for an extremely difficult winter amid expectations of another Russian assault on its energy infrastructure, has previously described Russian oil refineries as legitimate military targets.
The Kremlin welcomed Trump’s call for Ukraine to stop striking Russia’s diesel-producing facilities. “Any call on the Kyiv regime to stop attacks on civilian economic infrastructure can only be welcomed,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said during a conference call with reporters, according to Reuters.
Trump’s remarks came shortly after diesel, a vital fuel for heavy-duty trucking, commercial shipping, mining, agriculture and other industries, rose above $6 per gallon for the first time ever on Friday.
The national average reached $6.06 per gallon, according to AAA data. Truckers and farmers are now paying roughly 63% more to fuel their semitrailers and tractors than they were at the same time last year.
Oil prices jump
The surge in diesel prices has accompanied a sharp increase in crude oil prices as fighting continues between the U.S. and Iran in the Middle East.
International benchmark Brent crude futures for November delivery rose 3.6% to $108.41 a barrel on Monday, extending a rally that has lifted prices more than 20% over the past month.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures for October delivery were up 3.5% at $103.54 a barrel. The contract, which has gained nearly 25% over the past month, moved above $100 for the first time since May last week.
Oil prices over the past three months.
Fresh strikes from the Iran-backed Houthis on Saudi Arabia and Iranian attacks on ships in the Gulf over the weekend exacerbated regional supply concerns.
Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline, a crucial piece of energy infrastructure that helps the country bypass the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, was temporarily shut on Friday following a drone attack.
— CNBC’s Spencer Kimball contributed to this report.
