Ukraine, NYT: A billion-dollar oil deal involving Lukoil comes into play in US-Russia talks
According to the New York Times, the deal concerns Lukoil’s international assets and involves investors linked to Witkoff and Kushner. Putin is reported to have discussed the deal with the two US negotiators at the Kremlin
Negotiations between Donald Trump’s administration and Moscow to find a solution to the war in Ukraine are reportedly intertwined with a multi-billion-dollar financial deal involving the international assets of the Russian oil giant Lukoil. This has been revealed by the New York Times, which reports that the deal also involves Middle Eastern businessmen who have previously had business dealings with Jared Kushner or the family of Steve Witkoff, both of whom are representing Washington in the talks with Russia.
The deal is said to involve a vast portfolio of Lukoil’s assets spread across various countries, ranging from oil fields to refineries and petrol stations. However, the project remains subject to approval from both the US government and the Kremlin. The White House, the US Treasury Department and Lukoil did not respond to requests for comment made outside normal working hours.
According to the American newspaper, those involved in the deal include the US billionaire and investor Todd Boehly, alongside two Middle Eastern groups that have had business dealings with Kushner or the Witkoff family. An entity linked to the US government is also said to be involved in the project.
It is said that Vladimir Putin. According to people familiar with the meeting quoted by The New York Times, the Russian president is said to have discussed the deal on 5 September at the Kremlin during a meeting with Witkoff and Kushner. Putin is said to have presented the conclusion of the deal as a way of showing the Russian public that, despite the war and sanctions, a resumption of economic relations with the United States remains possible.
On 29 September Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s envoy and head of the Russian sovereign wealth fund RDIF, held talks in Washington with representatives from the Treasury and Energy departments. A US official had explained to Reuters that the discussions concerned both a possible resolution to the war and potential energy initiatives between the United States and Russia in the post-conflict period. Dmitriev’s visit followed the September meeting between Putin, Witkoff and Kushner in Moscow.
