--- title: "US Ambassador to the UN Explains Why Trump 'Regrets' Damage to Russian Oil Refineries" description: "US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz explained why Trump expressed regret over damage to Russian refineries: Russia was a net exporter of diesel, and its shortage, according to the ambassador, drives up global inflation." date: 2026-09-22T06:38:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/trump-waltz-russia-refinery-diesel-en tags: [trump, mike-waltz, russia-oil, diesel, ukraine-war, un] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # US Ambassador to the UN Explains Why Trump 'Regrets' Damage to Russian Oil Refineries ![Donald Trump in context of US UN ambassador's statement on regret over damaged Russian refineries](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/22/trump-waltz-russia-refinery-diesel/trump-waltz-russia-refinery-diesel-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Mike Waltz explained Trump's 'regret' over damage to Russian refineries with economic logic: Russia was a net exporter of diesel. - According to the ambassador, diesel is critical for agriculture, logistics, aviation, and the navy, and is a factor in global inflation. - Washington's position is dual: the US acknowledges the effectiveness of strikes on refineries but calls for them to be stopped due to the risk of a diesel shortage. US Permanent Representative to the United Nations Mike Waltz publicly commented on recent statements by President Donald Trump regarding the state of Russia's oil refining industry. Earlier, the White House chief stated that Russia had 'lost control' over part of its oil refining sector due to the war against Ukraine: according to him, many Russian refineries had been damaged and at least temporarily taken out of operation. Commenting on his own wording, in which he expressed 'regret' over the matter, Waltz laid out an economic argument linking strikes on Russian infrastructure to global fuel prices. ### Diesel as a Factor in Global Inflation According to the ambassador, Russia has historically been a net exporter of diesel fuel, and it is precisely this status that makes the situation significant not only for Moscow but also for global markets. 'Diesel is used in tractors, trucks, and, of course, in our aviation and navy. We are not a country where products go directly from the farm to the table. We have a chain from the farm to the truck and then to the table. And one of the factors of global inflation is diesel fuel,' Waltz explained. Thus, the American side interprets the damage to Russian refineries not as a geopolitical success, but as a factor capable of accelerating inflation through rising logistics and supply chain costs. ### Washington's Dual Rhetoric It is important that Waltz's statement came against the backdrop of contradictory public rhetoric by Trump himself. On the one hand, the US president called for an end to Russia's 'senseless and endless' war against Ukraine. On the other hand, he reportedly expressed the position that Ukraine should stop strikes on Russian infrastructure, as such attacks could lead to a diesel fuel shortage on the global market. In other words, the 'regret' over refinery damage in the words of US leadership sounds not as sympathy for the Russian side, but as an acknowledgment of the American economy's dependence on stable global fuel prices. ### Contradictory Data The statements by the parties reveal an internal contradiction that should be honestly noted. On the one hand, Trump and Waltz emphasize that Russian refineries were damaged precisely 'because of the war against Ukraine,' effectively acknowledging the effectiveness of strikes on Russian infrastructure. On the other hand, the same administration calls for these strikes to be stopped, citing the risk of a diesel shortage and inflation. This means that Washington's position simultaneously acknowledges the effectiveness of attacks on refineries and advocates for their cessation — motivated not by considerations of Ukraine's security, but by the protection of American consumer prices. Various Ukrainian media outlets (RBC-Ukraine, novosti.ua, fakty.com.ua) report the essence of the statement with minor differences in wording, but the core — Waltz's economic argument — is consistent across all sources. ### Context: Who Is Mike Waltz The comment was made within the scope of Waltz's authority as the US Permanent Representative to the UN — he was appointed to this post after leaving his position as US National Security Advisor. This circumstance is important for interpretation: his words about diesel and inflation sound not as a private opinion, but as a position articulated in a multilateral diplomatic format, which gives Washington's economic argument additional weight in international discussions about the war's impact on global energy. Thus, Waltz's explanation reveals a new aspect of American rhetoric: the damage to Russian refineries is viewed in the White House primarily through the lens of its impact on global diesel prices and inflation, rather than solely through the lens of the conflict's military dynamics. This makes the issue of strikes on oil refining infrastructure simultaneously a military, economic, and diplomatic one. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [US Ambassador Explains Why Trump Regretted Problems in Russia's Oil Refining](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/posol-ssha-poyasniv-chomu-tramp-poshkoduvav-1790058911.html) - Основной источник: цитата Уолтца о дизеле, инфляции и цепочках поставок; заявление Трампа о потере РФ контроля над НПЗ. - [Trump's Position on Russian Oil Refining: US Ambassador's Explanation](https://novosti.ua/politics/posol-ssha-obyasnil-pozitsiyu-trampa-po-problemam-rossiyskoy-neftepererabotki) - Подтверждает суть объяснения Уолтца и экономическую аргументацию. - [Trump: Mike Waltz to Leave Post as US National Security Advisor and Become Permanent Representative ...](https://www.rfi.fr/ru/%D0%B2-%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%B5/20250501-%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B5-%D1%81%D0%BC%D0%B8-%D0%BC%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BA-%D1%83%D0%BE%D0%BB%D1%82%D1%86-%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BD-%D0%B2-%D0%BE%D1%82%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%BA%D1%83-%D1%81-%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0-%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B7%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B0-%D1%81%D1%88%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D0%BE-%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B1%D0%B5%D0%B7%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8) - Контекст: подтверждает переход Уолтца на пост постпреда США при ООН. - [Russia Lost Control Over Diesel Refining Due to the War — Trump](https://fakty.com.ua/ru/svit/20260921-rosiya-vtratyla-kontrol-nad-pererobkoyu-dyzpalyva-cherez-vijnu-tramp/) - Подтверждает заявление Трампа о потере РФ контроля над переработкой дизтоплива. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Why did Trump express regret over damage to Russian refineries? **A:** According to Mike Waltz's explanation, Russia was a net exporter of diesel fuel, and diesel is used in agriculture, logistics, aviation, and the navy, and is a factor in global inflation, so its shortage hits global prices. ### Q: Who is Mike Waltz in the context of this statement? **A:** He is the US Permanent Representative to the UN, who previously held the position of US National Security Advisor; his comment was made within the scope of diplomatic authority. ### Q: What is the contradiction in the US position? **A:** The US on the one hand acknowledges that Russian refineries were damaged because of the war, while on the other calls for strikes on Russian infrastructure to be stopped, citing the risk of a diesel shortage and inflation — meaning the motivation sounds like the protection of American consumer prices.