Fact Check: Did Trump ask Zelenskyy to stop attacking oil refineries and focus on other targets?
WASHINGTON, DC: Amid a new oil deal between the United States and Russia to receive “massive amounts” of diesel, a rumor began circulating on social media claiming that President Donald Trump had asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop attacking Russian oil refineries and focus on other targets. The claim purportedly stemmed from a post on Trump's Truth Social account.
The alleged post circulated widely on social media, prompting speculation about whether Trump had publicly warned Zelenskyy against targeting Russian refineries. The screenshot appeared to show Trump criticizing the attacks and threatening to replace military aid with non-military assistance.
Claim: Donald Trump asked Volodymyr Zelenskyy to focus on other targets
The rumor surfaced in the form of a screenshot that purportedly showed a post from Trump's official Truth Social account.
The alleged post read, “What part of 'LEAVE THE REFINERIES ALONE!' did Volodymyr Zelenskyy not understand?”
“I specifically said, 'There are plenty of other targets!" Attacking oil refineries affects global energy markets, drives up fuel prices, and impacts everyone. Refineries are OFF THE TABLE! This affects all of us!”
“But ohhh, no! Apparently, that message was too complicated to understand, so he went ahead and did it anyway.”
“Effective immediately, we will be replacing military aid and weapons shipments with thoughts, prayers, and Top Ramen coupons. Good luck, and may the noodles be ever in your favor!”
The screenshot was shared by multiple accounts on X, garnering hundreds of thousands of views, with online users appearing to believe it was an authentic post by the president.
Fact Check: Screenshot attributed to Donald Trump was fabricated
The claim was false, and the screenshot was fabricated, as no matching post appeared on Trump's social media accounts in the searches described in the original report.
A search of his official Truth Social account and the commentary account on X that automatically archives his social media posts reportedly yielded no results matching the text in the screenshot.
A Google search to determine whether Trump had published and then deleted the alleged post also yielded no results. However, the absence of search results alone does not establish whether a post was published and subsequently deleted.
The screenshot should therefore not be treated as an authentic record of Trump's statement. The distinction is important because the circulating image attributed specific wording and a threat involving military aid to the president.
Donald Trump calls for Volodymyr Zelenskyy's replacement
The screenshot surfaced amid tensions surrounding the US-Russia diesel deal and Zelenskyy's criticism of the agreement. Trump subsequently called for Zelenskyy's replacement, arguing that the Ukrainian leader had failed to reach a deal to end the war.
“I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal because he could have made many deals and for some reason he never does,” Trump said.
“Zelenskyy could have settled this war many times, many, many times, and he chooses not to. Very difficult. It’s a war that should have never been started. If I were present, if the election weren’t rigged, I would have been president and that war would have never started,” Trump said.
Trump's remarks came amid disagreements over the war and the proposed diesel agreement between Washington and Moscow. However, the broader political dispute does not establish that Trump published the message shown in the viral screenshot.
