Russia reacts to Trump's remarks on Ukraine war: ‘Not about oil prices’

Kremlin also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin was ready to talk to Donald Trump, but was waiting for ‘signals’ from Washington.

Updated on: Jan 24, 2025, 17:21:37 IST

By HT News Desk

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Russia on Friday responded to US President Donald Trump's remarks on the Ukraine war, saying that the conflict is about national security and not about oil prices.

US President Donald Trump with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G-20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany in 2017. (AP)

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the issues for Russia in Ukraine were about national security, threats to Russians living there, and the refusal of the United States and Europe to listen to Russia's concerns. "This conflict does not depend on oil prices," he said, according to AFP.

Peskov also said Russian President Vladimir Putin was ready to talk to his US counterpart, Donald Trump, but was waiting for "signals" from Washington.

The statement comes a day after Donald Trump while addressing the World Economic Forum in Switzerland's Davos, called upon Saudi Arabia and the other Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) nations to reduce oil prices.

What Donald Trump said about Ukraine war

In his speech, Donald Trump asserted that lower prices would help bring the war between Russia and Ukraine to an immediate end.

US President Donald Trump is seen on a giant screen during his address by video conference at the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on January 23, 2025. (AFP)

"I am also going to ask Saudi Arabia and OPEC to bring down the cost of oil. You have to bring it down which, frankly, I am surprised they didn't do before the election. That didn't show a lot of love by them not doing it. I was a little surprised by that. If the price came down, the Russia-Ukraine war would end immediately," Trump said in his address.

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Donald Trump also claimed that the OPEC nations were, to a certain extent, responsible for the war between Ukraine and Russia.

"Right now, the price is high enough that the war will continue. You have to bring down the oil price, you have to end that war. They should have done it long ago. They are very responsible, to a certain extent, for what's taking place. Millions of lives are being lost. With oil prices going down, I'll demand that interest rates drop immediately and likewise they should be dropping all over the world," Trump said.

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