Former President Donald Trump plans to meet with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of United Nations high-level week to discuss energy infrastructure amid soaring global diesel prices. Trump has attributed the energy shortage to damage inflicted on Russian oil refining capacity during the ongoing conflict, stating that “the whole World suffers” from the war’s continuation.
Ukraine launched what it described as its largest attack on Russian energy infrastructure over the weekend, striking a Moscow oil refinery and resulting in three fatalities. In response, Trump called for an end to hostilities, citing casualty figures and global economic impacts. He has specifically requested that Kyiv cease targeting Russian diesel fuel infrastructure, arguing that such strikes exacerbate worldwide energy shortages. During a recent call with Zelenskyy described by a Ukrainian official as focusing on “diesel, diesel, diesel,” Trump emphasized this point directly.
Zelenskyy’s position centers on reciprocal de-escalation. His office stated that Ukraine would match any Russian commitment to cease striking Ukrainian energy and critical infrastructure. Zelenskyy indicated that negotiations continue with what he characterized as viable pathways toward peace, contingent on mutual disengagement from civilian energy targets.
The energy crisis carries domestic political implications for Trump’s Republican party ahead of midterm elections scheduled for November. Diesel prices in the United States reached $6.50 per gallon, compared to $3.19 per gallon one year prior, a surge attributed to broader regional conflicts including joint U.S.-Israel operations against Iran and Tehran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump is also scheduled to meet with major energy-producing nations, including Gulf Cooperation Council representatives and Venezuela’s recently installed leader Delcy Rodriguez, during his UN visit. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected to meet separately with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington during the same period.
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