US, Russia discuss energy deals as incentives for Ukraine peace talks, Reuters reports
U.S. and Russian officials discussed several energy-related deals in August as part of ongoing negotiations to end Moscow's full-scale war against Ukraine, Reuters reported on Aug. 26, citing five undisclosed sources.
The deals were reportedly offered as incentives to push the Kremlin toward a peace agreement and to provide Washington with justification for easing certain sanctions on Russia.
Although U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly warned of sanctions should Russia refuse to cease hostilities and attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, no such measures have been enacted. Russian President Vladimir Putin returned from the Alaska summit on Aug. 15 without facing additional sanctions.
"The White House really wanted to put out a headline after the Alaska summit, announcing a big investment deal," one of the sources said, according to Reuters.
Among the options discussed was a potential return of U.S. energy giant ExxonMobil to Sakhalin-1, a major Russian oil and gas project from which the company withdrew following the start of the all-out war, the news agency reported.
Talks included the idea of letting Russia buy U.S. equipment for its liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects, such as Arctic LNG 2, which is currently sanctioned.
One of the sources told Reuters that Washington wants Russia to rely on American, rather than Chinese, technology — a move aimed at weakening growing ties between Moscow and Beijing.
The talks took place during U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff’s visit to Moscow in early August, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund, Reuters reported.
The ideas were also reportedly discussed at the White House with Trump, two of the sources said.
The potential energy deals were also briefly raised during the Alaska meeting, Reuters wrote.
Since Trump took office, the U.S. and Russia have held several rounds of talks that focused on peace efforts in Ukraine and the resumption of bilateral ties.
