Cars line up for fuel at a Rosneft petrol station in St. Petersburg, Russia, on September 15, 2026.
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U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to urge Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to support an energy truce with Russia during a high-stakes meeting Tuesday, arguing that Moscow has “unfortunately lost control” of its diesel industry because of the war.
Trump is scheduled to meet Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The encounter will be a rare face-to-face meeting between the two leaders at a major international gathering.
Their discussions are expected to cover additional air-defense assistance for Ukraine ahead of winter, Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries and efforts to end the conflict, which has lasted more than four and a half years.
In a Truth Social post Monday, Trump claimed that “a large number” of Russian diesel refineries had been “blown up” and were temporarily out of service, though he did not provide further details.
“This ridiculous and never ending War with Ukraine must be ended. The whole World suffers as 25,000 people, mostly soldiers, are being killed each month. What a shame!” Trump wrote.
A spokesperson for Russia’s Embassy in London was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.
Trump has previously urged Zelenskyy to halt drone strikes on Russian oil refineries, saying the attacks are “hurting the world” as disruptions linked to the wars in Ukraine and Iran drive U.S. diesel prices to record levels.
U.S. retail diesel prices have exceeded $6.50 per gallon for the first time, according to the latest AAA figures. Global supplies have been constrained by disruptions to shipments through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran war.
Ukraine maintains that Russian energy facilities are legitimate military targets as it continues fighting Russian forces that invaded in early 2022. Russia’s Defense Ministry, meanwhile, has said it is preparing “massive strikes” against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, raising concerns about another winter offensive.
Zelenskyy: ‘Solutions are possible’
Zelenskyy said Monday that Kyiv remained in talks with the Trump administration and that proposals were “on the table for bringing peace closer, starting with strong de-escalation steps.”
“Ukraine’s energy sector, critical infrastructure, and our food exports must stop being targets for Russia, and this will lead to matching de-escalation steps on our part. Solutions are possible,” he said.
Zelenskyy arrived in New York on Monday evening and met with French President Emmanuel Macron. He said Ukraine was prepared to work with its partners during meetings on the sidelines of this week’s United Nations General Assembly.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends a joint news conference with U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner outside Mariinskyi Palace after negotiations in Kyiv, Ukraine, on September 6, 2026.
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Ukraine carried out what is believed to be its largest drone assault on the Moscow region to date on Sunday, damaging a facility at an oil refinery on the outskirts of the Russian capital. The attack killed three people and took place on the final day of voting in Russia’s tightly controlled State Duma election.
The ruling United Russia party, backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, secured a record number of seats in the national parliament, according to near-complete official results released Monday.
