Washington sought assurances from both Kyiv and Moscow that neither side would strike the other's oil infrastructure, a push that began approximately a week before the reported exchanges. The administration outlined its objective as averting fuel supply shortfalls linked to disruptions in the Gulf region and strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.
According to multiple news outlets, President Trump pressed President Zelensky on several occasions during a 20 September phone call to halt attacks on oil refineries inside Russia. Trump connected those attacks to an increase in diesel prices worldwide, according to one broadcaster's reporting. According to the document, that exchange was one of several occasions on which Trump raised the matter with Zelensky, pressing him to stop the strikes and pointing to potential disruptions in global energy markets as his primary justification.
No details have emerged regarding Zelensky's reaction to the matter. According to the document, both Trump and Zelensky reached an agreement to meet in person on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York. According to certain accounts, the gathering had been anticipated for 22 September, although no official confirmation of the precise date had been provided.
Kyiv proceeded with one of its most extensive drone strikes on Russian oil refineries at a time when US officials had been urging restraint on attacks targeting energy infrastructure. According to multiple news outlets, the Gazprom-operated Moscow Oil Refinery, situated roughly 25 kilometres from the Kremlin, halted operations following a series of drone strikes. With a throughput of approximately 245,000 barrels per day, the plant serves as the primary diesel source for neighbouring urban centres.
Global commodity prices rose as a result of the disruption caused by the closure. Analysts observed that, alongside disruptions to Persian Gulf supply chains, these developments are likely to heighten regional instability. Analysts also said that restricting or suspending refined petroleum exports could become necessary for Russia to meet domestic supply requirements, a move they said would place further upward pressure on international energy prices.
There are indications that the United States may be weighing its own restrictions on diesel exports to address potential domestic supply concerns. On 16 September, the US heating oil crack spread — a measure of the price differential between diesel fuel and crude oil — reached $117 per barrel, its highest point since 2009.
A proposed piece of US legislation, formally titled the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026 and commonly known as the Graham-Blumenthal Russia sanctions bill, would place secondary sanctions on nations that purchase oil or refined petroleum products originating from Russia. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut joined as a co-sponsor of the legislation. Early proposals called for tariffs as high as 500% on goods from the affected nations, a figure later brought down to 100%, with the adjustment attributed to concerns over broader geopolitical ramifications. The law has introduced friction in ties between the United States and nations such as China and India, both of which purchase substantial volumes of Russian oil.
