DOONBEG, IRELAND
President Donald Trump on Sunday blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries for record-high U.S. diesel prices, reversing his previous explanation that the Iran conflict was responsible for the surge.
Speaking to reporters at his golf resort here, Trump told Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to "stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia." He said Zelenskyy could "go after targets, but not diesel fuel, because he's causing a shortage of diesel fuel."
National average diesel prices hit $6.20 on Sunday, up from roughly $3.70 a year earlier. Ukraine has conducted more than 20 strikes on Russian refinery targets this summer, and Putin has acknowledged the economic damage.
Yet just last month, Trump justified higher fuel costs as the price of preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. "I would never apologize," he said then, asking Americans to accept $4-per-gallon gas. On Saturday, the day before his Ireland remarks, Trump predicted fuel costs would "come tumbling down" after the midterms, when he anticipated the Iran conflict would end.
Now Trump insists the current spike stems from Ukraine, not the Middle East. "It's not done by the Middle East," he said. "It's what's happening with Russia and Ukraine."
Zelenskyy has publicly endorsed the refinery strikes as justified retaliation for Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians. He posted on X after a Sept. 7 strike: "Our warriors continue responding justly to Russian strikes on Ukraine."
Trump also blamed rising fuel costs on "blue state" policies, specifically California's refinery closures, broadening his list of culprits for the price increases.
