Diesel sparks new row: Trump urges Zelensky to halt strikes on Russia

According to a senior official, U.S. President Donald Trump pressured his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, during a phone call on Sunday to halt Kyiv’s strikes on Russian refineries, due to concerns that the attacks are exacerbating the global diesel shortage and driving up prices.

The UK’s Financial Times quoted the senior Ukrainian official present in the call saying Trump’s main message revolved around "diesel, diesel... diesel" and urged Zelensky to issue orders to his military to cease drone and missile attacks.

The newspaper also cited another senior Ukrainian official familiar with the call, stating that Trump emphasized he was deeply concerned about rising diesel prices and wanted to ensure Russian supplies reached the global market to provide relief.

Zelensky said in a statement following the call that it was "a significant conversation," and that his meeting with Trump on the sidelines of this week’s UN General Assembly could "make a big difference." His office said the meeting was expected to take place on Tuesday.

He said without going into details: "There is diplomatic momentum."

The call came hours after Ukraine launched a drone attack on Moscow, which Russian authorities described as the largest such attack on the capital, resulting in fires at a major oil refinery and at least two deaths and 20 injuries.

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said air defenses shot down 450 drones as they approached the capital.

Russia, in turn, continued its deadly rocket and drone strikes on Ukrainian targets, focusing on energy infrastructure, fuel stations, commercial warehouses, and other facilities.