President Donald Trump‘s negotiations with Russia to end the Ukraine war are reportedly linked to a significant oil deal involving business figures associated with his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
According to The New York Times, a consortium seeking to acquire the international assets of Russian energy firm Lukoil includes billionaire Todd Boehly, a notable donor to MAGA causes, along with Middle Eastern investors connected to Kushner and Witkoff. The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation is expected to participate in this deal.
The sale, which includes Lukoil’s global assets such as oil fields and refineries, requires approval from both the U.S. and Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed this sale during a meeting with Witkoff and Kushner, suggesting it could signal a return to U.S.-Russia business ties and potentially lower energy prices.
While the deal is portrayed as advantageous for investors due to the potential lifting of U.S. sanctions on Lukoil assets, Witkoff expressed a positive sentiment towards Putin during the meeting.
Although no evidence suggests Witkoff or Kushner stands to personally profit from the deal, significant connections among the potential buyers link back to Trump’s inner circle.
Some key investors include Qatari businessmen Moutaz and Ramez Al-Khayyat, who are also collaborating with Kushner on a luxury resort in Albania, and Emirati royal Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, linked to both Kushner’s ventures and Trump’s cryptocurrency initiative.
A senior administration official confirmed that Witkoff and Kushner were instrumental in negotiating terms for the government’s investment, emphasizing benefits for the U.S. Witkoff’s spokesperson denied any conflict of interest related to this deal.
This development follows Kushner’s recent criticism of a CNN report discussing potential conflicts of interest in his investment activities.
