The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump offered Russia a series of economic incentives in exchange for its agreement to stop strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure or halt hostilities at sea. UNN reports this, citing The New York Times.
Possible concessions include unfreezing Russian assets, a deal involving the oil company "Lukoil," and easing restrictions on the export of Belarusian potash fertilizers.
Details
According to the publication, the U.S. administration offered Moscow three options for economic incentives that could help achieve agreements on a partial ceasefire.
The first involves unblocking billions of dollars in Russian state assets frozen in the West after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Earlier, as part of negotiation initiatives, the possibility of unfreezing up to $100 billion was discussed.
The second option concerns the sale of part of the Russian oil company "Lukoil" to a group of investors from the Middle East. The potential deal is worth billions of dollars.
The third proposal involves easing restrictions on the export of potash fertilizers from Belarus, which remains one of Russia’s closest allies.
According to the NYT, these issues were discussed during diplomatic contacts that intensified at the end of September. On the U.S. side, a key role in the negotiations was played by U.S. President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
At the same time, Ukrainian officials familiar with the course of the negotiations were surprised by the scale of the economic concessions Washington was prepared to offer Moscow in exchange for a limited truce. According to the publication, the Ukrainian side insisted on additional guarantees. In particular, Kyiv proposed providing for a compensation mechanism under which Ukraine would receive funds equivalent to the amount of the unfrozen Russian assets.
In addition, Ukrainian representatives raised the issue of additional military assistance in the event that Russia violated the ceasefire agreements.
It is currently unknown whether Moscow agreed to any of the proposed initiatives. There is no official confirmation that agreements on a partial ceasefire have been reached.
Context
On October 9, U.S. President Donald Trump announced an agreement with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on supplying Russian diesel fuel to the American and global markets. After that, the U.S. Treasury Department issued a temporary license allowing certain transactions involving Russian diesel fuel until April 7, 2027.
At the same time, during the negotiations, the American side urged Ukraine to stop strikes on Russian oil refineries. Kyiv, in turn, insisted that a halt to such attacks should be mutual and include Russia’s renunciation of strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Despite the diplomatic contacts, no agreements on an energy or maritime truce between Ukraine and Russia had been announced as of October 11.