Peace Talks Now Include Oil Deal for Trump Allies

Peace talks and petroleum are intersecting in the Trump administration's approach to ending the Russian war on Ukraine. The New York Times reports that informal US-Russia discussions now feature a proposed multibillion-dollar purchase of Russian energy giant Lukoil's global assets—a deal that could aid Middle Eastern business figures with ties to Trump allies Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, who are leading the negotiations. The proposed buyers include Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner and major Trump donor Todd Boehly, Qatari brothers Moutaz and Ramez Al-Khayyat, and an Abu Dhabi fund linked to UAE security chief Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, alongside a stake from a US government agency.

The deal, which would require signoff from both the US and Russia, was raised by Russian President Vladimir Putin in a Sept. 5 Kremlin meeting with Kushner and Witkoff, according to the Times. Ethics experts warn of alarming overlaps between business ventures by Trump and his allies, including the president's cryptocurrency company World Liberty Financial, and US foreign policy decision-making. The deal isn't final. The main decisions, people involved said, are coming from the White House. The full Times report can be found here.