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US President Donald Trump is expected to press Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to agree to a truce on attacks against energy infrastructure when the two leaders meet in New York on Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
The talks come as Ukraine has intensified strikes on Russia’s energy sector and global diesel prices have surged. Both sides have continued attacks on energy infrastructure despite Trump’s earlier claim that Moscow and Kyiv had agreed to stop targeting each other’s energy facilities. Neither side has confirmed that such a deal was finalised.
Ukraine stepped up attacks on Russian energy facilities over the weekend, including a major drone strike in the Moscow region that damaged an oil refinery and caused casualties.
Trump has repeatedly urged Zelensky to stop attacks on Russian refineries, saying they were contributing to fuel shortages and higher diesel prices. On Monday, he said the world was suffering from an energy crisis and blamed the Russia-Ukraine war for disruptions to Russia’s diesel industry.
Trump has also argued that the war must end, citing the heavy loss of life. His comments come as attacks on Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure by Russia continue.
Zelensky, meanwhile, has said Kyiv is discussing ways to reduce tensions and is prepared to halt attacks if Russia stops strikes on Ukraine’s energy facilities, critical infrastructure and food-export infrastructure. He has been seeking a reciprocal arrangement rather than a unilateral halt to Ukrainian strikes.
The possibility of an energy truce is expected to be a central issue at Tuesday’s meeting. French President Emmanuel Macron said he also discussed proposals for a mutual moratorium on energy-related attacks with Trump on Monday and plans to raise the issue with Zelensky.
The issue has taken on greater urgency as Russian refinery outages caused by Ukrainian drone attacks have contributed to domestic fuel shortages. Reuters reported that the Syzran and Saratov refineries were among facilities that halted operations following recent attacks, while Russia has imposed restrictions on fuel exports.
The wider global energy market is also under pressure from the conflict in the Middle East. Reuters reported that diesel prices in the United States and Europe have reached record levels as disruptions linked to the Iran conflict and the Ukraine war affect supplies.
Trump’s meeting with Zelensky is part of a broader diplomatic push at the UN General Assembly. The Ukrainian president is also expected to seek additional US air-defence support, including Patriot interceptors, as Russian drone and missile attacks intensify ahead of winter.
Trump had announced last week that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to stop attacks on energy targets. Zelensky subsequently indicated that Kyiv was willing to support such a step if Russia also stopped attacking Ukrainian energy and other critical infrastructure. The continued attacks have since cast doubt on whether a durable energy truce can be reached.
