Oil rises as Moscow peace talks fail to reach breakthrough

LONDON: Oil prices climbed almost 1% on Wednesday after Russia said talks with U.S. officials in Moscow failed to reach a compromise on a potential Ukraine peace deal that could have eased sanctions on its oil sector.

Brent crude gained 46 cents, or 0.7%, to $62.91 by 1453 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate rose 56 cents, or 1%, to $59.20. Both contracts fell more than 1% in the previous session.

“Oil markets and prediction markets do not appear to price a large probability of a near-term peace agreement and removal of the sanctions on Russian oil,” Goldman Sachs analysts said in a note.

Russia and the U.S. failed to reach a compromise after a five-hour meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump’s top envoys, the Russian government said on Wednesday.

Oil markets are awaiting the outcome of the talks to see if a deal could lead to the removal of sanctions on Russian companies, including major oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil, that would free up restricted oil supply.

Putin on Tuesday said that European powers are hindering U.S. attempts to end the war by putting forward proposals they knew would be “absolutely unacceptable” to Moscow.

Recent Ukrainian attacks on oil export sites on the Russian Black Sea coast have highlighted the geopolitical concerns stemming from the war.

Ukraine also hit two sanctioned tankers involved in transporting Russian oil in the Black Sea last week.

Putin on Tuesday said Russia will take measures against tankers of countries that help Ukraine, adding to geopolitical risks, analysts said.

Rising U.S. inventories, however, limited further gains. The American Petroleum Institute reported on Tuesday U.S. crude and fuel inventories rose last week, market sources said, citing the API figures.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration will release official government stockpile data later on Wednesday.