According to The Wall Street Journal, which cites White House officials, the US government is considering introducing new sanctions against Russia. This time the reason for such a measure could be Russia’s abrupt walkaway from the deal with OPEC, which provoked a trade war with Saudi Arabia and a collapse in oil prices. At the same time, the sources of the publication did not specify exactly what sanctions could be imposed on Russia.

In addition, according to the same newspaper, Donald Trump intends to use diplomatic channels to put pressure on Saudi Arabia, which announced an increase in oil production immediately after the collapse of the OPEC deal with Russia. The US President intends to ensure that Saudi producers return to the previous level of production.

On March 6, Russia and OPEC were unable to agree on a new oil deal, after which oil fell sharply in value. According to Forbes, the next day, March 7, Saudi Aramco unleashed a price war, informing customers about a discount of $ 6–8 per barrel in all regions, while the Russian trademark brand Urals was offered at a discount of $ 2 per barrel compared to Brent crude oil prices. On March 11, Bloomberg reported, citing its sources, that European refineries received offers from Saudi Aramco for the supply of oil in volumes 25-200% higher than before. The price of Russian Urals oil had fallen below $ 19 per barrel by March 19.