Russia publicly pitches $14 trillion economic deal to Trump tied to lifting US sanctions
If Washington lifts sanctions on Russia, the United States could gain access to joint projects with Moscow worth more than $14 trillion, Kremlin economic negotiator Kirill Dmitriev said on Feb. 18.
His remarks come amid growing scrutiny of a reported U.S.-Russia economic proposal tied to negotiations over ending the war in Ukraine, raising concerns in Kyiv about potential trade-offs.
"The U.S. will eventually lift sanctions because sanctions on Russia cost U.S. businesses $300+ billion," Dmitriev said. "The portfolio of potential U.S.-Russia projects is over $14 trillion."
Dmitriev's comments responded to a reporting by the Economist, which said Moscow had floated projects worth roughly $12 trillion to Washington in exchange for lifting restrictions.
According to the publication, proposals discussed during negotiations include granting individuals close to U.S. President Donald Trump stakes in Russian energy projects.
There has been no confirmation of the claims, but the reported proposal has drawn concern in Washington.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse said there was "a lot of chatter" that Russia may have floated private business deals to U.S. officials, including envoy Steve Witkoff or members of Trump's family.
"If that proves to be true, obviously that is horrifying misconduct on their part," Whitehouse told the Kyiv Independent on Feb. 18, adding that such claims would warrant investigation.
President Volodymyr Zelensky first revealed the existence of what Kyiv calls the "Dmitriev package" on Feb. 6. The White House twice declined to confirm the proposal to the Kyiv Independent.
Russia has signaled the proposal exists. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov did not deny it on Feb. 13, describing potential cooperation as a "natural extension" of shared economic interests.
That Bloomberg reporting offered a detailed look at what Russia may be seeking.
The outlet reported on Feb. 12 that Russia seeks to secure a wide-ranging economic partnership with the U.S. as part of an arrangement tied to Ukraine.
Citing an internal Russian memo prepared earlier this year, the outlet said Moscow wants relief from restrictions that have cut it off from the dollar payment system.
A return to dollar transactions would mark a reversal of Russia's recent "de-dollarization" policy, pursued in response to Western sanctions imposed after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
