Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected US President Donald Trump's criticism of Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil infrastructure. The exchange of positions comes a day before the planned meeting between the two in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, BTA reports.
Trump said that Russia had lost control of diesel fuel production due to the war and called on Ukraine to stop the attacks on refineries. According to him, a number of Russian enterprises had been damaged and temporarily stopped working.
In response, Zelensky pointed out that Ukrainian energy, critical infrastructure and food exports should also stop being targeted by Russian attacks. According to him, this would create conditions for appropriate steps towards de-escalation on the part of Kiev.
The topic of energy infrastructure is expected to be among the issues of the upcoming conversation between the two presidents. Zelensky has already stated that he is ready to discuss specific measures for de-escalation, including in the energy sector.
According to current data from “Reuters“, the Ukrainian strikes have indeed affected a significant part of Russia's diesel production capacity. In September, half of the six largest Russian refineries producing diesel fuel significantly reduced production or stopped working. Meanwhile, the global diesel market remains under strong pressure due to supply disruptions related to the war in Iran.
On September 20, a new Ukrainian strike also affected the Moscow Oil Refinery, and according to “Reuters“ sources, crude oil processing was suspended.