U.S. discussions with Russia on ending the war in Ukraine have expanded to include a proposed multibillion-dollar oil deal involving assets owned by Russian energy group Lukoil, the New York Times reported on Saturday.
According to a Reuters report of the article, the proposed transaction, which would require approval from both Washington and Moscow, involves a global portfolio of oilfields, refineries and petrol station networks owned by Lukoil, the report said.
The New York Times reports that the group pursuing the deal includes U.S. investor Todd Boehly, two Middle Eastern groups that have previously done business with the families of U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, and a U.S. government arm.
The newspaper reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin raised the deal during a Sept. 5 meeting in the Kremlin with Witkoff and Kushner. Citing people familiar with the discussion, it said Putin suggested completing the transaction as a way of demonstrating to Russians that business relations with the United States could resume.
The report adds a commercial dimension to ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, which has remained a central issue in U.S.-Russia relations.
The New York Times has previously reported that the Trump administration was considering economic agreements with Russia before the end of the war, marking a potential shift from an earlier position that broader business ties would follow a peace settlement. Officials cited by the newspaper said such agreements could signal Washington's interest in resetting relations with Moscow and provide incentives for Russian elites to support a negotiated outcome.
Reuters said the White House, the U.S. Treasury Department and Lukoil did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside normal business hours.
Source: Reuters, The New York Times
