Zelenskyy says US warned it'll cut off intelligence sharing if strikes on Russian oil facilities continue: Report

In an interview released late Tuesday by public broadcaster NPR, Volodymyr Zelenskyy argued that the Donald Trump administration's decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel would not bring down fuel prices, and refuted assertions that his country is to blame for the rise in diesel fuel prices.

“Mostly people in the world know why their prices on any kind of energy, including diesel, raised up, why they increased. Because of Hormuz. Yes. Because of blocking the Strait of Hormuz,” Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy also said he found out about Trump's assertion of an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine "through social (media),” referring to the US president’s announcement over the weekend.

He reiterated that Ukraine is striking Russian energy and logistics sites to weaken Moscow’s ability to wage a war, adding that while Kyiv seeks to end the ongoing conflict, it will not halt such strikes unless Russia halts attacks on Ukrainian energy sites.

Zelenskyy also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin only “understands force,” arguing that Trump's decision to temporarily lift sanctions on Russian diesel fuel would not influence domestic prices because of a lack of volume.

On Sunday, Trump announced on his Truth Social media platform that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an immediate ceasefire on attacks targeting each other's energy infrastructure.

Zelenskyy told Axios earlier Sunday that Kyiv was prepared to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries if Moscow stopped attacking Ukraine's energy infrastructure, stressing that any de-escalation must be reciprocal and backed by guarantees.

Meanwhile, Peskov said Monday that the Kremlin had no immediate comment on the proposed halt, though contacts with the US concerning the topic were ongoing.