Trump asks OPEC to cut oil prices, argues it will stop Russia-Ukraine war

Washington: US President Donald Trump has asked the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to cut the prices of oil, arguing that it would stop the Russia-Ukraine war.

He had made a similar claim earlier, too. Addressing the annual World Economic Forum at Davos in Switzerland via video conference, Trump accused the OPEC+ alliance of oil-exporting countries of being responsible for the nearly three-year conflict in Ukraine.

"We want to see OPEC cut the price of oil. That will automatically stop the tragedy that's taking place in Ukraine. It's a butchering tragedy for both sides," the US President told reporters in North Carolina on Friday.

Noting that a large number of Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have died in the conflict so far, Trump said, "Right now, it's just bullets whacking and hitting men. There are over a million men killed, and they are losing thousands of people a week."

"It's crazy. It's a crazy war and it never would have happened if I was president (then). This is crazy that it happened, but we want to stop it."

"One way to stop it quickly is for OPEC to stop making so much money and to drop the price of oil. If you have it high, that war is not going to end so easily. So, OPEC ought to get on the ball and they ought to drop the price of oil. And the war will stop right away," Trump added.

The US president had earlier said Russian President Vladimir Putin "should make a deal" with Ukraine while asserting that they would meet as soon as they can.

He warned his Russian counterpart to end the "ridiculous war" in Ukraine or face high tariffs and further sanctions. Trump, who was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, said this on Truth Social, a social media platform owned by him.