US President Donald Trump emphasized that the United States will not restore business relations with Russia until the war in Ukraine is over. During comments on the likelihood of new trade agreements following negotiations in Alaska on August 15, he noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks to benefit from the American economy.
This is reported by Business • Media
“I noticed that he brought many businessmen from Russia with him. They want to do business. But we will not engage with them until we end the war,” Trump stressed.
Putin Opens the Way for Foreign Investors to Return to Sakhalin-1
Meanwhile, it became known that on August 15, Putin signed a decree allowing foreign investors, including the American corporation Exxon, to return to the Sakhalin-1 oil and gas project. Previously, Exxon held a 30% stake in the project operator and was the only non-Russian shareholder to exit the project, incurring losses of $4.6 billion.
According to the decree, for foreign companies to return as shareholders, they must facilitate the lifting of Western sanctions, ensure the signing of contracts for the supply of critically important foreign equipment for the project, and transfer the relevant funds to the accounts of Sakhalin-1.
Parties Considered Cooperation on Icebreakers
In the context of preparations for the summit between Trump and Putin, the American delegation explored the possibility of involving Russian nuclear icebreakers to support the development of gas and LNG projects in Alaska. Such cooperation could become one of the agreements between the countries; however, the issue of economic interaction remains open due to the war in Ukraine.