The administration of American President Donald Trump has proposed a series of advantageous economic incentives to Russia to encourage Moscow to accept a limited armistice with Ukraine, targeting energy infrastructure or maritime corridors, reports Kyiv Post, citing New York Times.
According to The New York Times, which cites official sources familiar with the discussions and who spoke on condition of anonymity, American negotiators have presented three main trade and financial incentives, intended to convince the Kremlin to accept a partial armistice before the arrival of winter. The proposed economic package was presented by US representatives as an initial incentive meant to ensure a limited suspension of hostilities, rather than a subsequent reward, after the conclusion of an agreement.
The first stimulus measure involves the unlocking of billions of dollars’ worth of Russian sovereign assets, which are currently frozen in various Western jurisdictions under international sanctions. According to officials, the proposal revives discussions on unlocking Russian reserves immobilized up to the value of 100 billion dollars.
A second incentive aims at resuming a transaction that authorizes the sale of foreign assets belonging to the Russian oil producer Lukoil. The transaction, worth several billion dollars, would involve an international consortium of investors from the Middle East, among which are entities that previously had commercial ties with American negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Thirdly, Witkoff and Kushner have brought back into discussion an offer that would allow the lifting of sanctions, so that Belarus, Moscow’s main regional ally, could resume its potassium exports on the global market.
The Ukrainian negotiators refrained from outright rejecting the proposals during the bilateral consultations, but insisted on mandatory guarantees to mitigate security risks.
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