As people speculate on how President-elect Donald Trump will fulfil his populist promises, many hold out hope that his actual stance toward Russia will be tougher than imagined and tougher than his opponents portrayed during the election campaign. They expect Trump to exert pressure on Putin, including in the energy sector. Indeed, Trump has repeatedly stated his intention to sharply increase US oil production, thereby reducing hydrocarbon prices both domestically and globally.

As President-elect Donald Trump will deliver on his populist promises, many are hopeful that his actual stance on Russia will be tougher than anyone imagined or his opponents imagined during the campaign. They expect Trump to put pressure on Putin, including in the energy sector. Indeed, Trump has repeatedly stated that he intends to sharply increase oil production in the United States and thus reduce hydrocarbon prices both domestically and on the world market.