Trump warns Zelensky to suspend air strikes on Russian refineries to prevent oil prices from rising

In order to prevent further rises in oil prices before the U.S. midterm elections in November, U.S. President Trump warned Ukrainian President Zelensky to temporarily stop air strikes on Russian oil refineries. Bloomberg pointed out that Trump’s request deprived Kyiv of its most powerful means to respond to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war ambitions by attacking the Russian economy.

Trump told the media when attending the Irish Golf Open on the 13th, "We have talked about this with Zelensky and have many other goals, but don't attack diesel, which is causing damage to the world."

According to a report released by the International Energy Agency (IEA) last week, the export volume of diesel and gasoline in the Persian Gulf region in August was only about one-quarter of the pre-war level. Ukraine intensified its attacks, disrupting Russia's refining systems and worsening the energy damage.

Ukraine has recently relied on the unmanned aerial vehicles and medium- and long-range missile technologies that have been refined during the war to exert significant pressure on the battlefield and within Russia, making it difficult for the Russian people to turn a blind eye to the war. In particular, attacks on fuel facilities have led to the implementation of fuel rationing in various regions and forced Moscow to issue a ban on diesel exports in July, increasing the impact on the stability of the global energy market.