Trump Urges Zelenskyy to Halt Strikes on Russian Refineries

Trump told reporters Sunday that Zelenskyy must stop targeting Russian diesel refineries, saying the strikes are hurting the world. He said U.S. envoys had already raised the issue directly with the Ukrainian president.

• $6 per gallon: U.S. diesel hit that national average Friday for the first time.
• 453 Russian drones attacked Ukraine overnight; 409 were shot down or suppressed.
• 2 Russian civilians were killed and 14 injured near Nizhnekamsk in Tatarstan.
• 389 Ukrainian drones were downed overnight, Russia's defense ministry said.

Why it matters: Ukraine's refinery strikes are its most economically damaging tool against Russia. Kyiv says the industry both funds and directly supplies Moscow's war effort.

• The campaign has forced fuel rationing inside Russia despite Russia being a major oil exporter.
• If Ukraine stops refinery strikes, Washington Examiner reports, the campaign's only notable economic success would be ended.

How 40 sources split on this story

Where they split: The core dispute is whether U.S. pressure on Ukraine to protect Russian fuel supplies advances peace or undermines Kyiv's most effective leverage over Moscow.

What’s next: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said October peace talks among Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S. cannot be ruled out.

• U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met Putin in Moscow and Zelenskyy in Kyiv last week.
• Will Zelenskyy comply with Trump's demand, and if not, what consequences would follow?
• Do Moscow's and Kyiv's territorial positions have any realistic path to compromise?
• How much of the U.S. diesel price spike is directly attributable to Ukraine's refinery strikes versus other factors?