Much will be on the line in geopolitics when President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet Friday in Alaska, in hope of brokering a peace accord in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. But there will be additional stakes for many business leaders—because prices at the pump and the health of the oil industry are likely to swing depending on the talks’ results.
Whatever the outcome, it’ll create winners and losers in the energy space. Peace means lower fuel prices for consumers, even as a bearish oil sector turns increasingly pessimistic about the months and year ahead. On the other hand: Hardening stances and increased sanctions against Russia and buyers of Russian oil would add pain at the pump, while potentially reinvigorating a languishing oil industry and driving higher revenues, analysts said.
