President Trump has coupled his foreign policy to his energy policy with a firm belief that if the U.S. controls the world’s oil markets it can set the stage for world peace.
This means a return of crippling sanctions on Iran - sanctions the previous Biden Administration removed - with the goal of ending the regime’s use of oil and gas revenue to foment terrorism. It means a robust energy dominance agenda which has lowered oil prices nearly 40% since his inauguration, weakening Russia’s economy and its immoral invasion of Ukraine.
One more piece of the puzzle must fall into place: Russian oil companies must not be used to finance Russia’s military. We have an opportunity to make this happen, and countless lives, including future American lives, are at stake.
Securing Lukoil
In 2025, President Trump took decisive action by sanctioning Russian oil after Russia failed to demonstrate any serious commitment to ending the war in Ukraine. The move sent a clear message: America will not tolerate energy revenues being used to bankroll endless conflict.
The U.S. Treasury Department has given Lukoil, Russia’s state-owned oil company, until February 28 to divest its global portfolio. That divestment must be handled with extreme care. If these assets are simply sold to the highest bidder, the result could be chaos in already-fragile energy markets. The Trump Administration must ensure that any prospective buyer intends to operate these assets responsibly—not flip them for quick profit or transfer them back into the hands of Russia or other adversaries like China.
A re-sell or flip scenario would be disastrous. Energy assets require long-term investment, technical expertise, and operational continuity. Buyers focused solely on short-term gains often slash spending, delay maintenance, drain value, and degrade production capacity. The consequences would ripple across global markets, tightening supply, driving up prices, and placing additional strain on American families and U.S. allies who already face high energy costs.
Equally important, there can be no loopholes that allow Russia to quietly buy back Lukoil assets through shell companies, proxies, or back-room deals. Sanctions only work if they are enforced with vigilance. Allowing Russia to regain influence over these assets would undermine President Trump’s sanctions and the America First agenda.
Sustaining oil and natural gas production from Lukoil’s international portfolio is essential. These assets play a meaningful role in the global energy supply, particularly for U.S. allies in Europe who remain vulnerable to supply disruptions and price spikes. Any decline or volatility in production would hand leverage back to hostile producers and further destabilize markets already under pressure from years of underinvestment and political uncertainty.
Instead, Lukoil’s international assets should be placed under U.S. control and U.S. operation, with a clear focus on energy affordability and reliability. American companies have the experience, technology, and regulatory standards necessary to manage these assets responsibly.
Control the Oil, Bring Peace to the World
A strong Russia, like a strong Iran, sadly means conflict. And international conflict, sadly, means America to the rescue.
Political leaders from every nation who sit idly as Russia and Iran buy and sell oil, filling their coffers and building their militaries, will then point to America when those countries become aggressive and say “help!”. Preemption with sanctions and with smart policies will preempt conflict and save American men and women having to bail out the world yet again.
Oil has been used to cause conflict since 2018 when President Trump, then in his first term, warned the European Union about their dependence on Russian fossil fuels. The moment was captured in that now famous photo of a resolute President Trump seated arms crossed at a table with an angry German Chancellor Merkel leaning aggressively over it on the other side flanked by other E.U. heads of state.
If President Trump could ever say “I told you so” it was then.
Under Joe Biden, a series of energy-market shocks created significant turmoil. From the former president’s early war on fossil fuels, to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the still-unresolved sabotage of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, to Biden’s trip to Saudi Arabia to urge Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to increase oil production in an effort to lower prices—only for OPEC to cut output by two million barrels per day—each episode sent global oil markets into chaos.
With President Trump’s reelection and his “Drill Baby Drill” mantra, we are on a path to world peace through strength and sound energy policy.
President Trump’s decision to sanction Lukoil was a bold step in the right direction. Now, policymakers must ensure the follow-through is just as strong. That means blocking speculative resales, closing every loophole, and prioritizing U.S. control and operation of these assets. Done right, this approach can weaken Russia’s war machine, stabilize global energy markets, and reinforce America’s role as the world’s most reliable energy leader.
Daniel Turner is the founder and executive director of Power The Future, a national nonprofit organization that advocates for American energy jobs. He also runs a sheep and cattle farm in rural Virginia. Contact him at daniel@powerthefuture.com and follow him on Twitter @DanielTurnerPTF
