Oil prices stabilize ahead of expected Trump-Putin meeting

August 07, 2025 (MLN): Oil prices held steady on Thursday, trimming earlier gains after the Kremlin revealed that Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in the coming days, fueling hopes for a potential diplomatic resolution to the Ukraine conflict.

Brent crude futures decreased by $0.49 or 0.73%, to $67.38 per barrel.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fall by $0.46, or 0.71%, to $64.81 per barrel by [4:24 pm] PST.

Oil prices steadied on Thursday after sliding around 1% the previous day, hitting an eight-week low following remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting progress in negotiations with Moscow.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed that Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to meet in the coming days, marking the first summit between the two leaders since 2021.

A White House official had earlier indicated that the meeting could take place as early as next week, although the U.S. is still preparing secondary sanctions, potentially targeting China, to increase pressure on Russia to end the conflict in Ukraine.

According to UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo, oil prices saw modest gains supported by a drop in U.S. crude inventories, stronger Saudi pricing for Asia, and solid crude imports from China in July. However, the news of the possible Trump-Putin summit limited those gains.

Russia remains the world’s second-largest oil producer after the United States.

The Energy Information Administration reported on Wednesday that U.S. crude inventories fell by 3 million barrels to 423.7m barrels in the week ending August 1, significantly more than the 591,000-barrel decline forecast by analysts in a Reuters poll.

China’s crude oil imports in July declined by 5.4% compared to June but rose 11.5% from a year earlier, with analysts anticipating steady refining activity in the short term.

Saudi Arabia, the top global oil exporter, raised its official selling prices for crude to Asia for September its second consecutive monthly increase citing limited supply and strong demand.

Nevertheless, broader economic uncertainty weighed on oil prices after the U.S. imposed new tariffs on Indian products. On Wednesday, Trump informed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods due to the country’s ongoing purchases of Russian oil, with the measure set to take effect on August 28.

Trump also signaled the possibility of further tariffs on Chinese imports.

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