Trump said that Zelensky allegedly agreed to “slow down” on strikes on refineries
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy shake hands during a press conference after their lunch meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club, in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo
US President Donald Trump said he asked Volodymyr Zelensky to “slow down” on strikes on Russian oil refineries. According to the American leader, the Ukrainian president allegedly replied that Ukraine “probably” would do so.
Trump stated this while talking to reporters.
The American president explained his request by the situation on the global fuel market. According to him, Ukraine’s strikes on Russian refineries are reducing oil processing volumes and affecting diesel fuel supplies.
“The big problem is that oil refineries in Russia are blowing up. It’s not so much a Middle Eastern problem as it is a Russian problem – because Ukraine and Russia are at war with each other, and Ukraine is blowing up diesel refineries in Russia,” Trump said.
According to him, he personally raised this topic in a conversation with Zelensky.
“I spoke to President Zelensky. I said, ‘You need to slow down with the refinery,’” the US president said.
When asked by reporters about Zelensky’s response, Trump said that he allegedly said, “Well, we’ll probably do that.”
There is currently no separate public confirmation of this response from the President of Ukraine or the Office of the President.
Trump also said that strikes on Russian refineries could create a “worldwide problem” and that Ukraine could choose other targets.
Earlier, “Pryamiy” wrote that Trump had already asked Zelensky to stop the attacks on Russian refineries . At that time, the American president also linked the attacks to the rise in global diesel prices.
Ukrainian defense forces recently struck Russian refineries and other fuel and energy facilities .
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