Billion-dollar oil deal in talks to end Ukraine war

The Trump administration's talks with Russia to end the war in Ukraine have now included a massive oil deal that will benefit Middle Eastern businessmen with whom US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have business ties.

This information was reported in a report in the New York Times yesterday, Saturday (September 3).

According to the report, the deal, which is subject to approval by the US government and the Kremlin, covers all of the vast oil fields, refineries and gas stations owned by Russian energy company Lukoil, which are spread across the world.The White House, the US Treasury Department and Lukoil did not respond to requests for comment.

The newspaper reported that the process of implementing the deal involves US investor and billionaire Todd Boely, two Middle Eastern business groups (with whom the Kushner or Witkoff families have business ties), and an agency of the US government.

The New York Times reported that, according to people familiar with the meeting, Russian President Vladimir Putin raised the issue of the deal during a meeting with Witkoff and Kushner in the Kremlin on September 5. One person said that Putin proposed the deal to show the Russian people that it was possible to do business with the United States.