Bangladesh, Oct. 18 -- Diesel prices have become a formidable economic and political headache for the United States, putting the Trump administration under mounting pressure to deliver relief. With prices reportedly reaching $6.28 per gallon-roughly twice their year-earlier levels-American farmers, truckers, manufacturers and consumers are paying the price for a global energy crisis that Washington cannot simply wish away. President Donald Trump's attempt to secure additional Russian diesel supplies may offer a temporary lifeline, but it is hardly a cure for the structural weaknesses and geopolitical turmoil driving the crisis.

The causes of the shortage extend well beyond American domestic policy. Ukrainian drone strikes have damaged Ru...