US President Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin has “really let me down” in the weeks since their meeting on Ukraine, and urged Washington’s allies to stop purchasing Russian oil.
“Very simply, if the price of oil comes down, Putin is going to drop out of that war,” Trump said. His comments come as the European Union — which remains the biggest buyer of Russian natural gas — this week delayed sanctions on Moscow to better coordinate policy with G7 nations.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has continued its onslaught of Russian oil and gas facilities, further damaging an economy that is beginning to show cracks. While the Kremlin closely guards its economic data, independent analyses show debt is soaring, while growth is cooling.
A chart showing the top 5 EU buyers of Russian fossil fuels.
