The White House is pushing a quiet but aggressive new tactic to end the war in Ukraine, offering Russia a series of energy deals in exchange for peace and partial sanctions relief.
The offers were discussed earlier this August during meetings between U.S. and Russian officials in Moscow and again at the Alaska summit on August 15, according to Reuters.
These behind-closed-doors talks involved proposals that could reopen access for Russia’s energy sector, which has been locked out of global capital since the 2022 invasion.
Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, who traveled to Moscow, met directly with Vladimir Putin and investment representative Kirill Dmitriev to go over the options. These included allowing Exxon Mobil to return to its former role in Sakhalin-1, a major oil and gas project in Russia’s Far East.
Exxon pulled out in 2022, taking a $4.6 billion hit after the Kremlin seized its 30% stake. But Putin just signed a decree that might let foreign players back in, if they help get Western sanctions lifted.
“The White House really wanted to put out a headline after the Alaska summit, announcing a big investment deal,” a senior U.S. official told Reuters. “This is how Trump feels like he’s achieved something.”
US weighs LNG tech sales and Russian icebreaker purchase
American officials also raised the possibility of Russia purchasing U.S. equipment for its Arctic LNG 2 project, despite heavy sanctions placed on that facility over the last two years.
The plant, majority-owned by Novatek, resumed limited processing in April and has managed five LNG shipments this year despite sanctions blocking access to ice-class vessels. One production train remains offline due to export difficulties, while a third train is still being planned. That phase is expected to use Chinese technology, but Washington wants to change that.
Trump’s administration is trying to get Russia to choose American tech instead of Chinese alternatives, part of a broader plan to break the tight Beijing-Moscow alliance.
“The aim is to get Russia to pivot away from China and start relying more on U.S. energy technology again,” said a senior White House economic official.
That strategic angle has gained urgency as Xi Jinping and Putin have met over 40 times in the past decade, including several recent visits where Putin openly referred to China as Russia’s closest ally.
Talks also included a more unexpected offer: the U.S. buying nuclear-powered icebreaker ships from Russia. These vessels are critical for Arctic operations, and their sale could inject cash into Russia’s strained economy. That idea was first reported by Reuters on August 15 and was briefly discussed again during the Alaska summit.
Trump threatens India tariffs to squeeze Russian oil
While the offers are on the table, Trump hasn’t dropped his signature threats. He’s warning that if Russia doesn’t move forward with negotiations, more sanctions will come, and India could get hit with heavy tariffs for continuing to buy Russian oil.
That would undercut one of Russia’s last major export routes. Trump’s goal is to give Moscow a reason to deal, while applying economic pressure where it still hurts.
Earlier this year, Washington explored restoring some Russian gas exports to Europe, but Brussels blocked the idea. The European Union is sticking with its plan to phase out all Russian gas imports by 2027.
That resistance has now pushed the U.S. to move toward bilateral energy deals directly with Russia, cutting the EU out of the current discussion.
Inside the White House, Trump and his national security team are still pushing for a face-to-face meeting between Russian and Ukrainian officials, with the goal of a ceasefire or at least a temporary halt to fighting.
“It is not in the national interest to further negotiate these issues publicly,” a White House spokesperson said, responding to questions about the energy proposals.
Meanwhile, Novatek has started hiring U.S. lobbyists to try and soften sanctions on Arctic LNG 2. But any path forward is still tied to whether Russia takes concrete steps to support a peace process. As of now, the incentives are only on paper, and it’s unclear whether Putin will play ball or wait for more.
