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

US President Donald Trump has asked the OPEC (Organisation 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.

Meanwhile, Putin said Moscow was open to talks on Ukraine.

"We have always said this, and I would like to emphasise this once again, we are ready for negotiations on the Ukrainian issue," Putin said on Friday.

In the meantime, the Russian president said that certain issues require special attention. He recalled that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously issued a decree prohibiting such negotiations, Xinhua news agency reported.

"How can negotiations be resumed now when they have been banned?" Putin questioned, adding that if talks were to resume, they would be illegitimate under Ukraine's current legal framework. 

Putin said that as long as the decree remains in place, it will be difficult to talk about whether these negotiations can begin, or whether they can be properly completed. He noted that while some preliminary discussions can happen, serious negotiations would be difficult given the existing ban from the Ukrainian side.

The Russian leader said Zelensky "was in no hurry" to lift the decree banning negotiations, and follow the orders of his sponsors. He said that those who are funding Kiev should pressure the Ukrainian leader to do so.

During his speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos on Thursday, US President Donald Trump said US efforts to secure a peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine were "hopefully underway," adding that Ukraine was ready to make a deal. 

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Moscow is ready for nuclear disarmament talks with Washington, although it would be necessary to take into account the nuclear arsenals of US allies.

During his virtual address to the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, US President Donald Trump called for denuclearisation, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin supported this idea.

"In the interests of the entire world and the peoples of our countries, of course, we are interested in starting this negotiation process as soon as possible," Peskov said.

"In the current conditions … it is necessary to take into account all nuclear potentials," Peskov stressed, adding that it would be impossible to discuss disarmament without addressing the nuclear potentials of France and Britain.

Peskov said that while such negotiations are important, time has already been lost, and the "ball" was currently in Washington's court.

(With agency inputs)