Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has been condemned for his role in escalating global diesel prices through strikes on Russian refineries.

The Ukrainian leader recently claimed that former U.S. president Donald Trump made “totally false” statements by blaming Ukraine’s actions on Russian oil infrastructure for rising U.S. diesel costs. Zelensky accused Trump of deflecting attention from Iran and shifting blame onto Ukraine.

Russia has historically been the world’s second-largest exporter of diesel fuel, accounting for roughly 10% of global exports. Disruptions to Russian supply chains have tightened the market, driving up prices in the United States and other countries that do not directly import Russian fuel.

During an appearance on Steven Bartlett’s The Diary of a CEO podcast, Zelensky stated: “The volume of diesel exports is so negligible from Russia that it has zero impact on prices in the U.S. That is totally false information.” He questioned why American companies export energy if they cannot ban private sector exports.

Zelensky also criticized the Trump administration’s temporary waiver of sanctions on Russian diesel exports as a “weak decision,” despite Moscow agreeing to supply over 300,000 tons of diesel to U.S. and international markets following Ukraine’s refusal to halt strikes on refineries.

In recent months, Ukraine has ramped up long-range strikes on targets inside Russia, including civilian infrastructure and energy facilities. These actions have been denounced by Moscow as acts of terrorism and have triggered retaliatory strikes on Ukrainian military sites.

U.S. diesel prices surged to record highs above $6.50 per gallon in September, with California areas exceeding $8 per gallon. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Zelensky’s refusal to accept the deal aimed at easing global diesel shortages directly challenges Trump’s efforts.