Tass, a Russian state news agency, carried a more pointed exchange in which the Kremlin spokesman declined to say whether Mr. Trump might be manipulating markets. Asked if Mr. Trump had “intentionally mistaken” news about a phone call, Mr. Peskov said, “It’s difficult for me to answer.”Oil prices have been hammered in recent weeks as the coronavirus pandemic has all but eliminated travel and dampened demand for energy. The price war that broke out between Saudi Arabia and Russia last month intensified the decline. After failing to reach a deal on production cuts in March, Saudi Arabia and Russia began pumping huge amounts of oil, adding to a world glut. But as Saudi Arabia has been shipping new production, it has been having trouble finding buyers.

Source: International New York Times April 03, 2020 00:35 UTC