Energy Prices Soaring, UK PM: I'm Fed Up with Trump and Putin
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, has issued sharp criticism against the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, regarding the current global geopolitical dynamics. The US-Iran war has triggered an energy crisis with a domino effect.
The energy crisis stems from Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz, a distribution route for around 20 per cent of the global oil supply, thereby limiting supplies. On one hand, demand remains high, so friction in that sea route is pushing up world oil prices.
The Philippines and Australia are already on the brink of an energy crisis amid uncertainty over traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Indonesia is similarly beginning to implement fuel-saving measures through the application of work-from-home (WFH) every Friday for Civil Servants (ASN), state-owned enterprises (BUMN) and regional state-owned enterprises (BUMD), and it is hoped that the private sector will follow suit.
Starmer admitted to being frustrated by the surge in energy bills in the UK, which continue to fluctuate due to policies taken by Trump and Putin. He claimed to be ‘bored’ with the manoeuvres of the two national leaders.
“I’m fed up with the fact that families across the country see their energy bills going up and down, as do businesses around the world because of actions by Putin or Trump around the world,” Starmer said in an interview on the Talking Politics podcast on Thursday, quoted from CNBC International, Friday, 10 April 2026.
This surge in energy prices is occurring amid ongoing volatility in world oil prices due to geopolitical conflicts, including wars involving the US, Israel, and Iran. Although there was once a two-week ceasefire agreement, the energy market remains shrouded in uncertainty.
The price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil for May delivery rose 0.55 per cent to US$98.33, or about Rp1.68 million per barrel, on Friday morning, 10 April 2026. Meanwhile, Brent crude oil for June delivery strengthened by more than 1 per cent to US$96.91, or about Rp1.65 million per barrel.
This rise in oil prices is extending pressure on global energy costs, including in the UK, which is highly sensitive to fluctuations in those commodity prices.