U.S. diesel prices reached a historic high of over $6 per gallon, according to data from GasBuddy. The surge comes as Brent crude futures have climbed roughly 72% year‑to‑date, a rise the article attributes largely to the ongoing Russia‑Ukraine conflict.
During a press briefing in Ireland on Sunday, former President Donald Trump told reporters that Ukraine’s drone strikes on Russian diesel refineries are creating a global diesel shortage. He said, "Let him go after targets, but not diesel fuel, because he's causing a shortage of diesel," and added that he had spoken with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the issue.
Trump argued that the diesel shortage stems from the actions of both Russia and Ukraine, not from any U.S. involvement in the Middle East. He noted that the war has now lasted more than four years since Russia’s invasion in late February 2022.
Ukraine has intensified drone attacks on Russian oil refineries and energy infrastructure in recent months, reducing Russian fuel output. Russia, in turn, has repeatedly struck Ukrainian energy sites and recently cut its 2026 oil‑output forecast to a 17‑year low.
Efforts to bring the two sides to the negotiating table have so far failed, and Trump described the personal animosity between Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin as a factor in the conflict.
