Speaking at the Valdai Forum in Moscow on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia would not supply its diesel to global energy markets until sanctions against Moscow are lifted. Putin added that Ukraine had “partially achieved its objectives” with strikes on Russian oil refineries, which he said had cost Russia one percent of its gross domestic product.
According to the Guardian, Ukraine has continued its refinery strikes in defiance of US pressure. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv struck an oil facility in Russia’s southern Samara region overnight. President Trump urged Zelenskyy in a private phone call to halt the attacks and has repeatedly suggested in public that Ukraine’s strikes are to blame for the squeeze on global fuel supplies.
Reports indicate Britain is in talks with European allies over releasing emergency diesel stockpiles after Trump threatened to cut off US supplies of the fuel. Britain is already concerned about energy supply as winter approaches.
Economic analysts warn the diesel crunch could fuel inflationary pressures worldwide, while European airlines have already extended flight cancellations amid the disruption.
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