Trump made the remarks on Sunday after being asked whether he had spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following his conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Mr. Zelenskyy has to do one thing. He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia,” Trump told a reporter at his golf course in Ireland.

“He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia. We spoke to Mr. Zelenskyy about it. There are plenty of other targets. Don’t hit diesel fuel, because that’s hurting, that’s hurting the world.”

Trump said diesel prices were rising as supplies from Russia were being disrupted, arguing that the impact was being felt beyond the countries involved in the war.

Diesel prices in the United States climbed above $6 a gallon on Friday for the first time, according to AAA, amid a wider energy crunch that has also been driven by the conflict involving Iran and disruptions to oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.

Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russian energy infrastructure in an effort to disrupt Moscow’s ability to finance and sustain its war. The strikes have hit oil refineries and other fuel facilities across Russia, contributing to supply shortages and restrictions on fuel exports.

Hours before Trump made his remarks, Ukraine's military said it had struck the TANECO oil refinery in Nizhnekamsk, in Russia's Tatarstan republic, in a joint operation involving the country's military, security service and military intelligence.

Local officials said the attack killed two civilians and wounded others.

Ukraine has maintained that Russian refineries are legitimate military targets, arguing that the facilities help fund Moscow's war effort and supply fuel to Russian forces.

Russia has also repeatedly targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure, with missile and drone attacks hitting power facilities as the country prepares for another winter under the threat of prolonged electricity shortages.

Trump's intervention comes as diesel supplies face pressure from damage to refining infrastructure in both Russia and the Middle East. Higher diesel prices could also push up the cost of transporting goods, potentially feeding into broader consumer price increases.