American and Russian officials held informal talks in August about possible energy deals that would encourage the Kremlin to conclude a peace agreement with Ukraine. This was reported by "Reuters", citing five sources familiar with the negotiations.
According to the agency, among the options discussed was the return of Exxon Mobil to the Russian project "Sakhalin-1", as well as the possibility of Russia purchasing American equipment for the production of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Sources indicate that the topic was raised during the last visit to Moscow by the special envoy of the US President, Steve Witkoff. Discussions on the issue have also taken place at the White House with the participation of President Donald Trump.
One of the interlocutors of "Reuters" claims that the issue was also raised during the summit in Alaska on August 15. "The White House really wanted to make big headlines about a big investment deal after the meeting in Alaska. That way Trump feels he has achieved something", the source commented.
In response to a query from "Reuters", the White House said that "President Trump and his national security team are continuing the dialogue with representatives of Russia and Ukraine with the aim of stopping the killings and ending the war", adding that "further discussion of these issues in the public sphere is not in the interest of the United States".