---
title: "Bessent Accused Ukraine of an 'Energy Shock': US Treasury Secretary's Statement Amid Rising Oil Prices"
description: "US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declared an \"energy shock,\" linking it to Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries. The statement came on the fourth day of rising oil prices amid an escalation with Iran."
date: 2026-09-02T13:10:01.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/bessent-ukraine-refineries-energy-shock
tags: [scott-bessent, ukraine, oil-prices, iran, strait-of-hormuz]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Bessent Accused Ukraine of an 'Energy Shock': US Treasury Secretary's Statement Amid Rising Oil Prices

![Scott Bessent, US Treasury Secretary, gestures during a speech on the energy crisis and his statement on Ukraine](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/02/bessent-ukraine-npz-energeticheskiy-shok/bessent-ukraine-npz-energeticheskiy-shok-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Bessent declared an "energy shock" and linked it to Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries.
- Oil prices have been rising for the fourth day in a row amid an escalation between the US and Iran.
- Trump stated that a deal with Iran is no longer a priority; the current control over the Strait of Hormuz suits him.
- Sources differ in tone: "linked" vs "accused," and the causes of rising prices are divided into Ukrainian and Iranian factors.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated on Fox News that the country is experiencing an "energy shock," directly linking this phenomenon to Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refining infrastructure. According to him, attacks on refineries are creating additional pressure on global energy prices. The statement came amid oil prices rising for the fourth consecutive day worldwide.

### 'Energy Shock' and the Role of Ukrainian Strikes

"We are currently experiencing an energy shock. Ukraine has decided that it wants to destroy Russian energy facilities. This is creating pressure on prices at a global level," Bessent said, as reported by Ukrainian and Russian media citing his remarks. Thus, the head of the US Treasury publicly attributed part of the current volatility in the energy market to Kyiv's actions, emphasizing that the destruction of refining capacity reduces supply and is reflected in global prices.

### The Oil Market and the Iranian Factor

At the same time, oil prices worldwide have been rising for the fourth day in a row, and the analytical context links this increase to a new escalation between the US and Iran. The market fears supply disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz, through which significant volumes of global oil shipments pass. In other words, two parallel drivers are acting on the market simultaneously: strikes on Russian refining and geopolitical risks around Iran.

### Trump's Position on the Strait of Hormuz

US President Donald Trump, in turn, stated that reaching an agreement with Iran is no longer a priority for him, since the current control over the Strait of Hormuz, in his words, suits Washington to a greater extent. This position increases uncertainty in the market: the absence of a deal with Tehran maintains the risk of disruptions in oil transit through one of the key chokepoints of global logistics.

### Contradictory Data

The wording of different publications shows a difference in tone: some sources (in particular RBC-Ukraine) describe Bessent's words as "linking" Ukraine's strikes with the "energy shock," while others (gazeta.ru, oilcapital.ru, business-gazeta.ru) use the harsher word "accused" regarding the rise in energy prices. In essence, the fact is the same — a public statement by the minister — but the interpretation of his intent varies. Moreover, there is an inconsistency in the causal chain: Bessent points to Ukrainian strikes as a source of pressure on prices, while the market's rise in prices during the same period is also explained by the Iranian factor and risks in the Strait of Hormuz. Both versions coexist in the public sphere, and neither side provides a clear quantitative breakdown of each factor's contribution to the final price level.

Taken together, the statements by Bessent and Trump, delivered against the backdrop of a four-day rise in oil prices, paint a picture in which Washington publicly shifts part of the responsibility for the "energy shock" onto Kyiv's actions, while maintaining a hardline position on Iran. For the global market, this means the persistence of dual uncertainty — both regarding Russian refining and Iranian transit — which sustains elevated volatility in energy prices.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Bessent linked Ukraine's strikes on Russian refineries to a global "energy shock"](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/bessent-pov-yazav-udari-ukrayini-rosiyskim-1788354423.html) - Прямая цитата Бессента из эфирa Fox News, связь ударов по НПЗ с давлением на глобальные цены.
- [US Treasury Secretary accused Ukraine of rising global energy prices](https://www.gazeta.ru/politics/news/2026/09/02/29237887.shtml) - Подтверждает заявление, использует формулировку «обвинил».
- [US Treasury accused Kyiv of rising oil prices](https://oilcapital.ru/news/2026-09-02/minfin-ssha-obvinil-kiev-v-roste-tsen-na-neft-5673616) - Подтверждает атрибуцию роста цен на нефть действиям Киева.
- [US Treasury Secretary Bessent accused Ukraine of an energy crisis](https://www.business-gazeta.ru/news/710337) - Подтверждает заявление, использует формулировку «обвинил».

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What exactly did Scott Bessent say?
**A:** Bessent stated that the US is experiencing an "energy shock" and linked it to Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy facilities, which, in his words, are creating pressure on global prices.

### Q: Why are oil prices rising?
**A:** According to the source, oil prices have been rising for the fourth day in a row amid an escalation between the US and Iran and fears of disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz; in parallel, Bessent points to Ukrainian strikes on refineries.

### Q: What is Trump's position on Iran?
**A:** Trump stated that a deal with Iran is no longer a priority, since the current control over the Strait of Hormuz, in his words, suits Washington.

### Q: Are there contradictions in the data?
**A:** Yes: publications differ in tone ("linked" vs "accused"), and the causes of rising prices are divided into Ukrainian and Iranian factors, with no quantitative breakdown provided.