Trump Says Cheaper Energy Would Halt Putin’s War in Ukraine

President Donald Trump said in a live CNBC interview on 5 Aug 2025 that a further fall in global energy prices would curb Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine. “If energy prices go down low enough, Putin will stop killing people,” Trump told anchor Joe Kernen, arguing that lower oil and gasoline costs would deprive the Kremlin of the revenue needed to sustain the war. Trump pointed to what he described as a $2.20-a-gallon drop in U.S. gasoline prices as evidence that cheaper energy can influence Russian behavior. He did not detail specific policy measures he would pursue to push prices lower. The White House has previously used strategic petroleum-reserve releases and diplomatic pressure on producers in an effort to ease fuel costs.