US President Donald Trump repeatedly urged Vladimir Zelensky to halt Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries during a phone call, Axios reported, citing a source familiar with the conversation.

According to the source, Washington’s concern is tied to pressure on the global fuel market, with attacks on Russian refineries contributing to higher diesel prices. The issue reportedly came up several times during the call.

Trump and Zelensky agreed to meet in person on Tuesday, September 22, in New York. Axios reported that the White House is seeking reciprocal steps from Russia and Ukraine aimed at de-escalation and a return to negotiations.

Rustem Umerov, who leads Ukraine’s negotiating team and heads the country’s Foreign Intelligence Service, told Axios that talks had made significant progress. According to him, the number of unresolved disagreements had fallen from dozens to one or two key issues.

The discussion comes as fuel prices in the United States continue to climb. On September 20, the national average price of diesel reached a record $6.49 per gallon, according to AAA data cited by ABC News.

Earlier in September, Trump had also called on Zelensky to stop attacks on Russian facilities connected to diesel production. He linked the pressure on the global diesel market primarily to the Russia-Ukraine conflict rather than developments in the Middle East.