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President Donald Trump has made a desperate plea to two world leaders in hopes they can help bring down record-breaking gas prices in the US.
'Ukraine has agreed not to hit Russian Energy targets,' Trump wrote on social media Monday.
asserted
Trump → sign → media
'Russia has agreed to do, likewise!'
asserted
Russia → agree → ?
The presidential announcement comes the same day that US diesel fuel prices hit a record high at $6.23 per gallon, beating the previous record set in 2022 under former President Joe Biden.
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prices → come → Biden
However, Trump claims the price hikes are not because of his latest military escapade in the Middle East.
uncertain
hikes → claim → East
'The World's Diesel price rise is mostly caused by the Russia/Ukraine War, not Iran,' Trump concluded in his post.
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Trump → cause → post
As the midterm elections approach in approximately 50 days and many voters express concerns about inflation, the economy and wages, the president has explained away the increased prices at the pump as a Europe-created issue.
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president → approach → issue
Over the weekend, while traveling to his golf club in Ireland, Trump blamed Ukrainian President Zelensky and Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil facilities for rising US gas prices.
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Trump → travel → prices
'Mr Zelensky has to do one thing.
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Zelensky → have → thing
He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia,' Trump said.
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Trump → have → Russia
'Let him go after targets but not diesel fuel, because he's causing a shortage of diesel fuel.'
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he → let → fuel
Trump announced on social media Monday that Ukraine and Russia have agreed to stop targeting each other's energy infrastructure after US diesel fuel prices hit record highs
Ukraine and Russia have targeted oil infrastructure amid the war, causing global prices to rise.
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prices → announce → war
Above, smoke is shown rising from an oil refinery in Russia following a June strike on the plant
Trump blamed the rising diesel prices on Ukrainian attacks on Russia over the weekend.
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Trump → show → weekend
'The World's Diesel price rise is mostly caused by the Russia/Ukraine War, not Iran,' Trump wrote on Monday
Zelensky almost immediately threw cold water on Trump's post, noting about an hour after the US president's announcement that Ukraine is 'not confident' Russia will follow the agreement.
'
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Russia → cause → agreement
Ukraine has proposed to its partners to secure such an agreement with Russia that would halt the destruction of critical infrastructure,' Zelensky wrote, adding 'Ukraine is not confident that Russia has any intention of adhering to any agreement.
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Russia → propose → agreement
'If partners are willing to ensure Russia's genuine desire to refrain from striking our electricity, our other energy facilities, critical infrastructure, or the movement of food supplies, then we, of course, are ready to reciprocate with a corresponding absence of our own strikes,' the Ukrainian leader said.
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leader → ensure → strikes
Ukraine has insisted that energy sites within Russia are legitimate military targets since oil exports bankroll the war.
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exports → insist → war
Following strikes on two Russian oil facilities, Zelensky said last week that Moscow uses its oil profits 'to finance the war and the killing of Ukrainians.
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Moscow → follow → Ukrainians
'
Russian officials, meanwhile, praised the president for calling on Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian energy sites, which Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov described as 'peaceful economic infrastructure,' on Monday.
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Peskov → praise → Monday
Previously, Trump brokered a short, three-day ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia for Moscow's Victory Day celebrations.
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Trump → broker → celebrations
But that May ceasefire was short-lived and shooting restarted immediately after the three days had passed.
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days → live → ?
A blaze is seen raging after Ukrainian strikes on a warehouse in Russia
US diesel fuel prices have hit new record highs amid pressure on global oil supplies from the Iran and Russia-Ukraine wars
Given the damage to its refineries, Russia has banned diesel fuel exports, worsening the global oil supply crunch exacerbated by the Iran war.
Russia is the globe's largest diesel exporter behind the US, and any refinery shortages or surpluses there have impacts on the global oil markets.
Russia did not immediately agree to Trump's claim that it has agreed to a halt in strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
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it → see → infrastructure
The Aporia
