Zelensky accuses Trump of ‘totally false’ statements
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has accused US President Donald Trump of making 'totally false' statements by blaming rising American diesel prices on Ukrainian strikes against Russian refineries.
Zelensky made his remarks during an appearance on Steven Bartlett's The Diary of a CEO podcast on Thursday, claiming Trump was 'deflecting the focus away from Iran' by blaming Ukraine for rising US diesel prices. 'The volume of diesel exports is so negligible from Russia that it has zero impact on prices in the US. That is totally false information,' Zelensky stated.
Global Energy Disruptions
Russia has historically been the world's second-largest exporter of diesel fuel, behind only the United States, accounting for roughly 10% of global exports. Disruptions to Russian supplies have tightened the global market, driving up prices even in countries that do not directly import Russian fuel, including the US.
Zelensky suggested the 'root of the problem' lies in the Strait of Hormuz, where crude exports and other maritime traffic have dwindled to a trickle following the start of the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran in February. He also questioned why American companies continue to export energy if Trump is concerned about US energy prices.
US-Russia Deal
Earlier this month, Washington temporarily waived sanctions on Russian diesel exports to ease the global fuel crisis. Moscow agreed to immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel to American and global markets, followed by 500,000 tons in November, another million tons shortly thereafter, and potentially another 3 million tons, depending on refinery capacity.
We said, you can do whatever you want to Russia, don't hit the refineries, because that's a world problem that's caused.
Political Tensions
Trump has repeatedly accused Ukraine of exacerbating the global energy crisis with continued attacks on Russian oil infrastructure. He also said he found it more difficult to deal with Zelensky than with Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggesting Ukraine should get a new leader who would not obstruct Washington's mediation efforts.
Rising fuel prices have become an increasingly pressing domestic issue for Trump ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. US diesel prices surged to record highs above $6.50 per gallon in September, with prices in California exceeding $8 in some areas. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said last week that Zelensky was directly challenging Trump by refusing to accept a deal aimed at easing the global diesel shortage.
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