U.S. Energy Diplomacy Reshapes Risk Backdrop for WTI Crude

A six-month Treasury waiver allowing Russian diesel sales, issued after a Trump-Putin call, points to a broader U.S. strategy of controlling global energy flows while isolating China, a dynamic that could ripple into WTI through shifting trade routes and refined product substitution.

Meanwhile, the U.S. and Canada have conspicuously left oil and gas out of their escalating tariff war, underscoring how deeply intertwined North American crude supply chains remain even amid broader trade friction.

For WTI traders, these policy currents add a layer of geopolitical complexity on top of already elevated prices above $117, with supply-side diplomacy now as influential as inventory data.