According to statements made in Dublin on Sunday, Sept. 13, Donald Trump has publicly called on Ukraine to halt its ongoing military strikes against Russian oil refineries and energy infrastructure. The remarks, delivered on the sidelines of an Irish Open appearance, place responsibility for surging fuel costs squarely on Kyiv’s retaliatory tactics against Moscow’s ongoing territorial invasion.
Global Energy Pressures and Rising Fuel Costs
The demand arrives as average diesel prices in the United States crossed the threshold of $6 per gallon for the first time, equating to roughly 1.38 euros per liter, according to market data. While that sum remains well below the 2.30 euros per liter currently tracked in France, it marks a sharp escalation from the $3.50 per gallon recorded before the war in Iran, triggered on February 28 by the United States and Israel.
Data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) indicates that the primary shock to global fuel supply stems from the quasi-closure of the Strait of Hormuz since the prior winter. The narrow shipping lane historically accounted for approximately 20 percent of global oil transit. To help offset that international shortage, Western markets increasingly relied on Russian maritime exports.
The Impact of Ukrainian Strikes on Russian Refineries
In February, Russia and Gulf nations combined to supply nearly 45 percent of the global seaborne trade in diesel and gas oil, as reported by the IEA. However, Ukrainian strikes targeting Russian energy facilities—designed to diminish the Kremlin’s war-financing capabilities—have deeply disrupted the sector.
Those domestic disruptions forced Moscow to implement an official ban on diesel exports in July, a restriction later extended through Sept. 30 to guarantee adequate domestic supply. The operational campaign continued into the weekend, with Associated Press reporting that two separate Russian refineries, including the Slaviansk-on-Kuban facility in the Krasnodar region, sustained hits during the night of Sept. 12–13.
Diplomatic Reactions and Border Security Concerns
While Donald Trump pressed Kyiv to alter its targeting strategy, Russian forces continued their own offensive operations against Ukrainian energy grids ahead of the winter season. On Sunday, a Russian drone struck a passenger train positioned just two kilometers from the Polish border, though no casualties resulted from the blast.
Minutes prior to the strike, a diplomatic train carrying former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt had traversed the exact same rail corridor from Kyiv. Ukrainian rail operators stated it was entirely possible that the diplomatic transport was the intended target, though definitive proof remains pending. An adjacent truck was also struck less than a kilometer from the Polish frontier, forcing a temporary shutdown of the Yahodyn-Dorohusk border crossing.
Editorial Scrutiny Over Strategic Messaging
The stance drew immediate commentary from financial publications, including an editorial in the Wall Street Journal which criticized the approach as a vast political maneuver. The publication noted the asymmetry of demanding restraint from Kyiv while Moscow continues unimpeded strikes across Ukrainian territory, warning that treating interconnected conflicts in isolation risks emboldening allied adversaries in Moscow and Tehran.
As international stakeholders assess the friction between energy security and wartime self-defense, observers await the next formal diplomatic updates from Western capitals and regional energy regulators regarding export restrictions and border security.
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