Will President Trump’s announcement about Ukraine-Russia energy strikes ease diesel crisis?
On Monday, President Trump announced a development in the Russia-Ukraine war that he seemed to suggest would assuage high diesel prices.
by Summer Lane | September 14, 2026
President Donald Trump on Monday announced that Ukraine had “agreed not to hit Russian Energy targets,” which appears to have had a temporary effect on the future of diesel prices.
“Ukraine has agreed not to hit Russian Energy targets,” the president said in a statement posted to Truth Social. “Russia has agreed to do, likewise! The World’s Diesel price rise is mostly caused by the Russia/Ukraine War, not Iran.”
As reported by LindellTV, diesel prices in the U.S. soared to all-time highs over the weekend, as the national average per gallon rose to $6. Diesel also surpassed $9 per gallon in California.
Continued instability in the Red Sea, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Middle East in general has caused oil to spike to more than $100 per barrel. According to Patrick De Haan, the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, this shocking climb in price is linked not just to the Middle East conflict, but also to the conflict in Russia and Ukraine, as two Russian refineries were incapacitated over the weekend.
De Haan said Monday morning that following President Trump’s statement about Russia and Ukraine, wholesale diesel prices “completely backed off” today’s gains. The development is temporary for now.
Keeping diesel prices under control is a key component of maintaining lower prices for goods and services nationwide. This is no doubt a priority for President Trump as the 2026 midterm elections approach.
After the president’s announcement on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky released a statement. He said that his country would be willing to back off on strikes against Russian energy facilities if their enemy is willing to do the same.
“If our partners are ready to ensure that Russia genuinely refrains from striking our electricity system, other energy facilities, critical infrastructure, and food supply routes, then, of course, we are ready to ensure a corresponding halt to our strikes,” he stated.
Photo: Pixabay
