Oil prices rose on Wednesday amid renewed supply concerns following U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on India for continuing to purchase oil from Russia.
As of 10:44 a.m. local time (0744 GMT), international benchmark Brent crude increased by 0.74% to $67.97 per barrel, up from $67.47 in the previous session. Meanwhile, the U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude climbed 0.72% to $65.04 per barrel, compared to $64.57 previously.
The uptick in prices comes as Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, arrived in Moscow for talks related to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Russian state media outlet RT confirmed the visit, while Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said a direct meeting with President Vladimir Putin was still under consideration.
Witkoff’s visit precedes a Friday deadline set by Trump, who has warned of sweeping new sanctions, including 100% tariffs and secondary sanctions targeting Russia’s trade partners if meaningful progress on a Ukraine ceasefire is not achieved.
Trump previously stated that any decision regarding additional sanctions would depend on the outcomes of Witkoff’s meetings in Moscow. Over the weekend, he also took to social media to criticise India, accusing it of benefiting from reselling Russian oil and vowing to “substantially raise” tariffs on Indian goods.
“They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine,” Trump wrote. “Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA.”
Additional support for rising oil prices came from data suggesting a decline in U.S. crude inventories. According to figures from the American Petroleum Institute, U.S. commercial crude stocks dropped by 4.2 million barrels last week, pointing to a rebound in demand.
Official inventory figures are expected later on Wednesday from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
In a separate development, OPEC and its allies (OPEC+) announced that eight member states would increase oil output by a total of 547,000 barrels per day in September compared to August, in a bid to recover global market share.
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Two people have been killed after a private helicopter crashed at a recreation centre in Russia’s Perm region, Russian authorities and local media have said.
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Snow and ice caused travel chaos in northwest Europe on Wednesday, while others were delighted by the snow-covered streets of Paris, venturing out on sledges and skis.
Iran is now facing a near‑total internet blackout as anti-government protests sweep the country. Major cities including Tehran have seen connectivity drop sharply, leaving millions of residents isolated from online communication.
New York City parents could soon have access to free childcare for two-year-old children following a joint announcement made by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul on Thursday (8 January).
French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that the U.S. is “gradually turning away” from some of its allies and “breaking free from international rules”.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 9th of January, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Russian drone and missile attacks on Kyiv early on Friday (9 January) killed at least 4 people, injured at least 19, and caused significant damage to residential buildings and critical infrastructure, Ukrainian officials said.
Venezuela has released prominent Venezuelan-Spanish rights activist Rocío San Miguel and four other Spanish citizens, Spanish authorities said on Thursday (8 January). Local rights groups report that promised releases of Venezuelan political prisoners are yet to materialise.
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