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Senior US and Russian officials discussed Exxon Mobil returning to Sakhalin-1 and LNG equipment deals.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump (Image Credit: Reuters)
Senior US and Russian officials discussed possible energy deals this month as part of efforts to advance peace talks over Ukraine, Reuters reported citing people in the know. The proposals- seen as incentives to encourage the Kremlin to consider a settlement and to push Washington to ease sanctions- included the prospect of Exxon Mobil re-entering Russia’s Sakhalin-1 oil and gas project and Moscow purchasing US equipment for liquefied natural gas (LNG) ventures such as Arctic LNG 2, which is under Western sanctions.
Russia has been cut off from most international energy investment since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Energy Incentives On The Table
Another idea raised during the talks was for the US to buy nuclear-powered icebreaker vessels from Russia, the report added. The talks took place during US envoy Steve Witkoff’s visit to Moscow earlier this month, when he met Russian President Vladimir Putin and investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev. The options were also discussed at the Alaska summit on August 15 and within the White House with President Donald Trump, it was reported.
“The White House really wanted to put out a headline after the Alaska summit, announcing a big investment deal. This is how Trump feels like he’s achieved something,” a source told Reuters.
White House Response
Asked about the proposals, a White House official told Reuters that Donald Trump and his national security team “continue to engage with Russian and Ukrainian officials towards a bilateral meeting to stop the killing and end the war. It is not in the national interest to further negotiate these issues publicly.”
The latest discussions come as Donald Trump has threatened to impose more sanctions on Russia unless peace talks advance and to levy steep tariffs on India, a major buyer of Russian oil- measures that could complicate Moscow’s ability to sustain its exports.
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