U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his belief that a decrease in oil prices could be a decisive factor in ending the war that Russia is waging against Ukraine. In his opinion, falling energy prices could significantly weaken the financial capabilities of the Russian military machine, which is largely sustained by oil exports.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Trump’s Position on the Role of OPEC+ and Economic Pressure
Specifically, Donald Trump emphasized that OPEC and OPEC+ countries are currently actively increasing oil production. He believes that this decision is aimed at lowering energy resource costs, which, in turn, will negatively impact Russia’s revenues. The former American president stressed that a significant drop in oil prices could force Vladimir Putin to stop the aggression, as his country would not have enough resources to continue the war.
“Putin will stop killing people if energy prices drop by another $10 per barrel. He will have no choice because his economy is weakened.”
Trump also added that a decrease in oil prices would halt the deaths of both Russian soldiers and Ukrainians, and this would be a positive outcome for both sides.
Escalation between the U.S. and Russia, Kremlin’s Reaction
Trump’s recent statements came against the backdrop of deteriorating relations between Moscow and Washington. Despite relatively warm contacts at the beginning of Trump’s second presidential term, intergovernmental dialogue has recently become complicated. On August 5, global oil prices fell by 1% following OPEC+’s announcement of plans to increase production by 547,000 barrels per day by September. As of August 2025, Russian Urals oil is priced at $65.17 per barrel, while Brent is at $68.11.
On July 29, Trump announced an ultimatum for Russia: if no progress is made in ending the war against Ukraine within 10 days, the U.S. will impose tariffs and other restrictions against Moscow. He also stated that he is disappointed with Putin’s actions.
In response, the Kremlin stated that it took the U.S. president’s words into account, and Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized the continuation of the so-called “special military operation.” Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev sharply criticized Trump’s statements, accusing the U.S. of edging closer to war, and declared Russia’s intention to continue following its own course. Medvedev also hinted at the possibility of using the automated nuclear weapons control system known as “Perimeter” or “Dead Hand.”
In response to this, Donald Trump announced on August 1 via the social network TruthSocial that American nuclear submarines have been placed on combat alert in the relevant regions, emphasizing that this is a reaction to the statements made by Russian officials. Additionally, the U.S. president announced the visit of his special representative Steve Witkoff to Russia this week.