“Diesel may matter to some, but our lives matter more”: Zelensky confirmed that Trump asked him to stop strikes on Russian oil refineries According to the Ukrainian president, Trump did raise the issue during their phone call. Zelensky refused to halt the strikes unilaterally, saying that rising fuel prices matter less to Ukraine than protecting people’s lives. Kyiv also believes the current price spike is driven primarily by the crisis around the Strait of Hormuz. Ukraine is proposing a different arrangement: Moscow stops striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure, and Kyiv in turn stops targeting Russian refineries. “Help us stop Putin,” Zelensky said, stressing that an end to Russian strikes should be the condition for a mutual energy ceasefire.