Kremlin welcomes Trump call for Ukraine to halt refinery strikes

Moscow, Russia. The Kremlin on Monday welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian diesel-producing facilities, while attributing global energy market disruption mainly to the conflict in the Gulf region.

Trump urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday to stop targeting Russian diesel infrastructure, saying the attacks were causing fuel shortages that were “hurting the world”.

Refinery attacks and fuel shortages

A wave of long-range Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries in recent months has reduced Russia’s fuel production, leading to shortages, including of gasoline, across the country.

Ukraine has said the attacks on Russian refineries are intended to increase the cost to Moscow of continuing its invasion of Ukraine.

“Any call on the Kyiv regime to stop attacks on civilian economic infrastructure can only be welcomed,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters during a daily conference call.

Energy market concerns

Numerous Russian regions have faced gasoline shortages, which are weighing on national morale ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for September 18 to 20.

Peskov said global energy markets were deteriorating mainly because of “instability and new rounds of escalation in the Persian Gulf region”. He added that a diesel export ban should help strengthen Russia’s domestic market.