Overview

• Reuters reports that U.S. and Russian representatives discussed commercial energy options to encourage Russian concessions in Ukraine negotiations.
• Options under discussion included ExxonMobil’s potential return to Sakhalin‑1, U.S. equipment for the sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project, and a possible U.S. purchase of Russian nuclear icebreakers.
• The ideas surfaced during envoy Steve Witkoff’s Moscow meetings with Vladimir Putin and Kirill Dmitriev, then were reviewed in the White House and briefly raised at the Alaska summit.
• A Kremlin decree opened the door for foreign investors to reenter Sakhalin‑1, yet no deals have been finalized or disclosed.
• The White House acknowledged continuing contacts with Moscow and Kyiv, and President Trump threatened further sanctions and tariffs on India if talks yield no progress.