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The Trump administration is considering whether to pursue business agreements with Russia before Moscow ends its war against Ukraine, The New York Times reported, citing people familiar with the discussions. The approach would be intended to demonstrate that Washington is serious about rebuilding U.S.-Russian relations and potentially encourage President Vladimir Putin to pursue a settlement.
The reported proposal comes as the administration pursues two parallel approaches: increasing economic pressure on Russia while also considering incentives that could encourage Moscow to engage in negotiations.
Kushner challenges Putin’s timeline
When U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Putin in the Kremlin earlier this month, the Russian president reportedly expressed confidence that Russian forces could capture the remaining parts of Donbas within several months.
According to people familiar with the meeting, Kushner challenged that assessment, pointing out that Putin had made similar predictions the previous year and questioning whether another year should pass without an agreement.
The exchange illustrates the difficulty facing the Trump administration as it attempts to move negotiations forward while Russia and Ukraine continue to hold substantially different positions.
Sanctions and incentives
The U.S. Congress has also approved a major sanctions bill targeting Russia’s economy and energy sector. The legislation, which has been sent to Trump for his signature, would give the president authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on major purchasers of Russian oil and gas and impose additional sanctions on Russian officials, businesspeople and financial institutions.
Supporters of the legislation argue that stronger economic pressure could reduce Russia’s ability to wage war and increase its incentive to negotiate.
At the same time, the White House is considering a different form of leverage: economic incentives for Russia.
According to the NYT report, some administration officials believe that allowing selected business agreements with Russia before a final peace deal could demonstrate Washington’s intention to establish a different relationship with Moscow. Such agreements could also encourage members of Russia’s political and business elite to support negotiations.
The reported approach would represent a change from Trump’s earlier position that major business agreements with Russia should wait until the war had been resolved.
Possible areas for cooperation
The Kremlin has promoted potential economic cooperation with the United States since Trump returned to office, including proposals involving rare-earth minerals, aluminum, Arctic projects and Russian gas exports to Europe.
After the September 5 meeting with Witkoff and Kushner, Putin’s foreign-policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said economic issues and potential large-scale, mutually beneficial Russian-American projects had been discussed.
The exact agreements under consideration by the Trump administration have not been publicly identified.
Kushner has described the administration’s role as finding a “creative solution” that would allow both sides to move forward. He has also said that Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remain committed to negotiations and that Putin has expressed a similar commitment.
Negotiations remain stalled
U.S.-led efforts to end the war have made limited progress on the central territorial issues. The latest visits by Witkoff and Kushner to Moscow and Kyiv were intended to revive the diplomatic process.
Ukraine expects possible trilateral talks involving the United States, Ukraine and Russia to resume, potentially in October. Possible interim arrangements under discussion include limited ceasefires involving commercial shipping in the Black Sea and attacks on energy infrastructure.
The reported U.S. strategy of combining pressure with economic incentives has drawn different reactions. Supporters of sanctions argue that Moscow needs greater economic and military pressure before making concessions, while some analysts say Washington is now considering whether limited incentives could encourage Russia to change its position.
The debate is taking place alongside continued Russian attacks on Ukraine and ongoing disagreements over the conditions for any ceasefire.
