Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at the plenary session of the Russian Energy Week, said that the U.S. leader Donald Trump is responsible for the growing oil prices.
"We had a very good meeting with President Trump in Helsinki,' the Russian leader said. "However, if we had raised the issue that we are discussing now, I would tell him that, if you want to find the one who is responsible for the growing prices, Donald, you need to look in the mirror," TASS cited Putin as saying.
He noted that the oil price of $65-75 is satisfactory for Russia. "President Trump assumes that the price is high. I think that he is partly right," he said.
Russia's President noted that the current growth of oil prices is connected with external, particularly political factors.
"The fact that the oil price is rising is not so much the result of our activities (compliance with international agreements on production cap) as the result of largely external circumstances: expected decisions regarding Iran, by the way absolutely unlawful decisions that are harmful for the global economy; this being a production decline in North Africa related to a number of political circumstances (civil war and the like); this being a production decline in Venezuela also due to domestic political factors and due to restrictions imposed there," he explained.
"But let's be frank, such oil prices are to some extent the result of the U.S. administration. I'm talking about sanctions against Iran, about political problems in Venezuela and just looking at what's happening in Libya. This is the result of an irresponsible policy that is having a direct impact on the global economy," Putin stressed.
According to Putin, it is necessary for various countries "to work closer with each other not only in the energy sector, but in the political field as well."
The Russian leader also said that the U.S. has made a mistake by undermining the dollar's credibility as a reserve currency, they are "biting the hand that feeds them"
"It seems to me that our American partners are making a colossal strategic mistake, they are undermining confidence in the dollar as a universal, in fact, the only reserve currency today, undermining faith in it as this universal tool," Putin stressed. He described such a policy strange and surprising.
