Negotiations on a possible truce in Ukraine were accompanied by discussions on energy projects between Russia and the United States. According to Reuters, which cites five sources, representatives from both countries discussed a number of agreements likely to encourage Moscow to compromise.
Among the possible initiatives was the return of the American oil and gas corporation Exxon Mobil to the Sakhalin-1 project. Exxon withdrew from the project after the start of hostilities in Ukraine and the introduction of Western sanctions against Russia. The restoration of the company’s participation in the project was seen as one of the measures towards ‘unfreezing’ energy cooperation.
Another area of discussion was the prospect of Russia purchasing American equipment for liquefied natural gas production projects. In particular, the discussion focused on key initiatives such as Arctic LNG 2. The participation of American manufacturers could significantly influence the development of the Russian energy sector, which is experiencing technological limitations due to sanctions.
According to Reuters, these issues were raised in early August during a visit to Moscow by Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Whitcoff, who met with Vladimir Putin. Energy deals were also briefly discussed at the summit in Alaska. Two sources from the agency claim that this issue was also discussed separately at the White House during a meeting with Trump himself.
One of the interlocutors noted that the American president was seeking a high-profile investment deal: ‘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.’
Exxon declined to comment. Russian and American authorities also neither confirmed nor denied that energy agreements had been discussed.
