Trump again urged Zelenskyy to stop strikes on Russian oil refineries — Axios
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
New details have emerged about a phone call between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump. According to a source familiar with the conversation, one specific request from Trump dominated much of the call.
The source familiar with the conversation says Donald Trump repeatedly asked Zelenskyy to stop attacks on Russian oil refineries, saying such strikes were driving up global diesel prices.
"The word diesel came up many times during the call," the source told the outlet.
Axios writes that Zelenskyy's meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday.
The outlet notes that the meeting will take place just days after Trump signed legislation imposing sanctions on Russia and approved the largest US-Ukraine arms deal since he took office—two steps Kyiv had been seeking for months.
This is not the first time Trump has said he asked Zelenskyy to stop the attacks. Earlier, the US president said he had asked the Ukrainian leader to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries, citing rising fuel prices.
Trump had previously also said that Ukraine should stop attacking Russian infrastructure because such strikes were allegedly contributing to a global diesel shortage. According to the US president, Zelenskyy should change his tactics.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin is preparing for another meeting with representatives of Donald Trump's team. According to Russian diplomats, the key goal of the talks is to eliminate "red flags" in US-Russia relations.
At the same time, Putin continues to accuse Ukraine of allegedly being unwilling to negotiate and of blocking efforts to achieve peace.
