Ukraine is ready to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries if Moscow stops striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday, after US President Donald Trump demanded that Kyiv unilaterally end its attacks.
Trump on Saturday blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries for driving up US diesel prices and said Zelensky had “better damn well stop”. He also suggested Ukraine should replace its president, saying he had missed several opportunities to reach a deal with Moscow.
Rising global diesel prices, which surged after the Iran war began in February, have become a political liability for Trump’s Republican Party ahead of next month’s midterm elections, when opposition Democrats could gain control of one or both houses of Congress.
Zelensky reiterated Ukraine’s position that any halt to attacks on Russian refineries must be part of a mutual de-escalation, including an end to Russian strikes on Ukrainian power infrastructure.
Any such arrangement would require “real guarantees”, Zelensky said.
“The real cause of the war in Europe is Russia and Russia alone,” he said, adding that strikes on energy infrastructure could stop immediately, but that Russian President Vladimir Putin did not want to end them.
Zelensky had also criticised Trump’s announcement on Saturday of a diesel supply deal with Russia, saying it would encourage Moscow to intensify its attacks on Ukraine.
Analysts said the deal was unlikely to bring sustained relief to fuel prices, as the volumes involved remained well below Russia’s usual exports when its refineries are not under attack.
The agreement also drew criticism from US lawmakers, including Republican Representative Don Bacon, who said Washington should impose more sanctions rather than lift them.
In Kyiv, several residents expressed anger at Trump’s suggestion that Ukraine should find a new leader willing to reach a deal with Putin.
“No one has the right to tell us what to do, especially since elections cannot be held during wartime,” said Sabina, a 40-year-old primary school teacher, referring to Ukraine’s ban on elections under martial law for security reasons.
“In my view, it is a betrayal by our partners,” she said of Trump’s remarks.
Zelensky said he would continue discussions with European leaders on Sunday. He added that talks were taking place daily on additional air defence packages, including ammunition for combat aircraft used to intercept Russian jet-powered drones.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha is due to attend a European Union Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Monday, where ministers are expected to discuss increasing sanctions pressure on Russia and advancing negotiations on Ukraine’s EU accession.