Trump says Russia will abandon war if oil prices fall

U.S. President Donald Trump renewed his call for European countries to stop buying Russian oil, arguing that Russia will abandon the war in Ukraine if crude prices drop.

“It’s very simple: if the price of oil goes down, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin will withdraw. He will have no other option,” Trump said at a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

On Sunday, the Republican leader had already urged European nations to toughen sanctions against Russia and reiterated his demand that they cease purchasing Russian oil as a means of pressuring Moscow to end the war in Ukraine.

The president reinforced the message he had set out in a letter sent Saturday to NATO members, in which he warned he would not impose new sanctions on Moscow while some allies continue buying Russian crude.

Trump spoke on Thursday during his second state visit to the United Kingdom, following his 2019 trip during Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. Starmer said the two countries had renewed their “special relationship for a new era,” highlighting that beyond defense and economic ties, they are now partners in technology as well.