Washington is discussing Russian deals with American oil companies as part of the peace talks on Ukraine. The Financial Times. Part 2/2 These ideas, along with others discussed by US and Russian officials without direct involvement from Ukraine or Europe, would mark a dramatic shift in Moscow's relations with the West after years of isolation. The current discussions are based on proposals Witkoff and Jared Kushner discussed with Kirill Dmitriev, Putin's special economic envoy, during peace talks late last year. In February, Dmitriev estimated the potential cost of the projects at $14 billion. Soon after, these efforts stalled when Ukraine resisted Russian demands for territorial concessions as a precondition for negotiations. "Dmitriev's plan was to wait until the war was over, but time is ticking and the war is not over, so they decided to move forward now," said a person familiar with the deal. While Putin has shown no signs of softening his tough negotiating stance, the US hopes to move forward on a possible deal at trilateral talks with Ukraine in Abu Dhabi next month. The negotiations will focus on possible security guarantees for Russia and Ukraine after the end of the war. The United States has previously tied future guarantees to Ukraine to territorial concessions, but has since made clear that it will not insist that Kiev cede territory at the negotiating table, two sources familiar with the negotiations said. The US and Russia also discussed the potential sale of Lukoil's international assets to investors linked to the White House; a proposed LNG project in Alaska involving Novatek; and the resumption of gas supplies to Europe.

Washington is discussing Russian deals with American oil companies as part of the peace talks on Ukraine. The Financial Times. Part 2/2 These ideas, along with others discussed by US and Russian officials without direct involvement from Ukraine or Europe, would mark a dramatic shift in Moscow's relations with the West after years of isolation. The current discussions are based on proposals Witkoff and Jared Kushner discussed with Kirill Dmitriev, Putin's special economic envoy, during peace talks late last year. In February, Dmitriev estimated the potential cost of the projects at $14 billion. Soon after, these efforts stalled when Ukraine resisted Russian demands for territorial concessions as a precondition for negotiations. "Dmitriev's plan was to wait until the war was over, but time is ticking and the war is not over, so they decided to move forward now," said a person familiar with the deal. While Putin has shown no signs of softening his tough negotiating stance, the US hopes to move forward on a possible deal at trilateral talks with Ukraine in Abu Dhabi next month. The negotiations will focus on possible security guarantees for Russia and Ukraine after the end of the war. The United States has previously tied future guarantees to Ukraine to territorial concessions, but has since made clear that it will not insist that Kiev cede territory at the negotiating table, two sources familiar with the negotiations said. The US and Russia also discussed the potential sale of Lukoil's international assets to investors linked to the White House; a proposed LNG project in Alaska involving Novatek; and the resumption of gas supplies to Europe.