Trump Presses Ukraine to Halt Attacks on Russian Refineries

On Oct. 18, U.S. President Donald Trump defended his decisions regarding Russia and said he was pressuring Ukraine to stop attacking Russian oil refineries as part of a plan to negotiate peace. The decisions he defended included waiving sanctions and a deal to buy diesel. His approach puts pressure on Ukraine’s wartime choices while he tries to keep Russia involved in negotiations.

Negotiations and Russian Policy

In a Truth Social post, Trump said he didn’t want his decisions to drive Russia away from the bargaining table. “My decision on Russia is a very simple one,” he wrote. “I am in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and don't want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table. Great progress is being made, and that includes current hostage negotiations!”

Trump framed the decisions as part of diplomacy between Russia and Ukraine. His post pointed to progress in negotiations and included hostage negotiations among the areas where he said progress was being made. The report gave no further details about the negotiations.

Trump also defended a diesel deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said Moscow wasn’t helping Iran in its war with the United States, while Russia was helping the international community by “sending, at a low price, millions of barrels of diesel to the World.” He added: “Russia is doing very little, if anything, to help the Islamic Republic of Iran, compared to what they could be doing, and I want to keep it that way, and will, unless stupid people get in the way.”

The report said the war in Iran was driving up global fuel prices, including prices for U.S. consumers. According to the report, Trump had sought to blame Ukraine as midterm elections approached. He argued Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries were hurting diesel markets.

Refinery Attacks and Ukraine’s Position

“Zelensky is using Diesel Refineries in Russia as a target, knowing that these attacks are seriously hurting the world diesel markets, including those in the United States,” Trump wrote. Evidence cited in the report indicated that the war in Iran, not the attacks on Russian refineries, was the primary driver of the price surge.

Trump tied his call for Ukraine to stop targeting the refineries to his stated concern about diesel markets and his effort to negotiate with Russia. The report described refinery attacks as a point of dispute between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. It offered no additional details about the attacks or named any specific refineries.

Trump also accused Zelensky of not wanting to end the war. “He could have made a better deal two years ago than he can now,” Trump wrote. He said Ukraine’s condition had worsened, asserting that “His country is in shambles, a large portion of his land is lost, his oceans and seas are gone, and his male population is low, wounded, and/or dead.” The report presented these as Trump’s claims.

Trump ended the criticism with a direct demand: “I WANT THIS WAR END!” His post defended his Russia policy and called for Ukraine to change its approach to attacks on Russian refineries. The report was identified as developing. Abbey Fenbert, Senior News Editor, wrote it.