U.S.-Russia Talks on Ukraine Now Involve an Oil Deal Tied to Trump Allies
President Vladimir V. Putin brought up a sale of Russian energy assets with President Trump’s envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, pushing a deal that raises new questions about conflicts of interest. The negotiations about the Lukoil deal show that personal business interests in President Trump’s inner circle are also in play. Lukoil is Russia’s biggest private oil company. Credit... Gianni Cipriano for The New York Times JB note: sections of my coverage of this article have been highlited by other person (s) than yours truly, without his approval. They are: "Mr. Mitkoff and Mr. Kushner ..." "A major equity ...in Southern Albania" By Anton Troianovski and Eric Lipton Reporting from Washington The New York Times Oct. 3, 2026, 5:02 a.m. ET The Trump administration’s talks with Russia about ending the war in Ukraine have expanded to include a multibillion-dollar oil deal that would benefit Middle Eastern business executives with ties to the two main U.S. negoti...