<p class="wp-block-paragraph">U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz joined several Trump administration officials in attributing high diesel prices to the Russia-Ukraine War, shifting the focus of the energy markets discussion away from Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“What we’re seeing in the war in Ukraine is that it is spreading to the global economy, and it’s all the more reason that the president wants the war to stop,” Waltz said on Fox News’s Fox News Live.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The network inquired about diesel prices, which reached a record-high average price in the U.S. this week, according to AAA, leading to calls for a ban on diesel exports from several GOP politicians. The inquiry followed Waltz's comments about the war in Iran and the volatility in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting him to clarify the distinction.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“I want to be very clear here. That is a separate — it is absolutely an issue, this diesel issue, that powers our tractors, our trucks, and so much of our economy — is separate than what’s happening in the Strait of Hormuz,” Waltz stated.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“We’re moving 12 to 15 million barrels a day from our Gulf allies out, almost to pre-war levels,” Waltz added. “That is different than a refinery issue for diesel, and the primary thing that is affecting that is the war between Russia and Ukraine. And that’s why you’ve seen the president call on all sides to stop hitting those refinery capabilities that is affecting global markets on diesel, different than the price of oil.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In mid-September, Trump urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to cease airstrikes against Russian oil refineries, as several of his administration officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, also expressed concerns regarding the war’s impact on diesel prices.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“Zelensky has to do one thing: He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia,” Trump stated in mid-September. “Let him go after targets, but not diesel fuel, because he’s causing a shortage of diesel fuel. This isn’t done by the Middle East. This is done by what’s happening with Russia and Ukraine.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Global diesel prices have remained above $6 recently, raising concerns in energy markets. According to AAA, the average price of U.S. diesel was approximately $6.48 per gallon on Saturday, following a peak recorded average price of $6.5276 per gallon on Tuesday.</p>