Trump: "Russia and Ukraine Agree to Stop Strikes on Energy Facilities...We Will Prevent Fuel Prices from Soaring"

[Financial News] United States President Donald Trump abruptly announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed not to strike each other’s energy-related facilities. With diesel prices in the United States soaring to an all-time high and public sentiment shifting ahead of the midterm elections, Trump appears to be moving urgently to contain the situation by blaming the surge in oil prices on the Russia–Ukraine war rather than the U.S.–Iran war, which he led.
On March 14 (local time), President Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social, "Ukraine agreed not to strike Russia’s energy targets, and Russia likewise agreed to do the same."
He particularly emphasized again, "The rise in global diesel prices is mostly because of the war between Russia and Ukraine, not because of Iran (the war)."
This follows pressure Trump applied to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his visit to Ireland the previous day. Trump said he had discussed the issue directly with Zelenskyy and urged him, "Attack other targets, but you must stop destroying Russia’s diesel-supply facilities."
Trump’s active intervention in the conflict is attributed to the severe inflationary situation in the United States. Diesel prices in the United States, which are directly tied to household finances and logistics costs, recently surpassed $6 per gallon, setting an all-time high. As the war in the Middle East worsened global energy supply shortages, fuel prices surged uncontrollably after Russia’s refineries, including those in a major exporting country, came under repeated attack.
With soaring oil prices emerging as the biggest liability just before the midterm elections, analysts say Trump’s political calculation is to blame the price increases on Ukraine’s excessive drone attacks and escape criticism over responsibility for the Iran war.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has concentrated long-range drone strikes on refineries deep inside Russia, hundreds to thousands of kilometers from the border, in an effort to cut off Russia’s war financing and fuel supplies. Russia has responded with large-scale combined missile and drone attacks targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

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