Reuters: Washington eases restrictions on Russian oil to bring Putin back to Ukraine talks

The Donald Trump administration is using the easing of restrictions on Russian oil exports as a diplomatic tool, with the aim of bringing Vladimir Putin back to negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

The plan was presented to Ukrainian officials on Friday, at a meeting in Miami, three people briefed on the discussions said.

Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, and Jared Kushner, the American president’s son-in-law, explained to Ukrainian representatives that the oil deal is part of Washington’s efforts to revive peace talks, after the failure of previous diplomatic initiatives.

The sources said American officials acknowledged that Putin is not currently willing to negotiate an end to the war. However, they argued that an economic deal could pave the way for resuming trilateral talks between the U.S., Russia and Ukraine.

The Trump administration’s demand that Kyiv stop strikes on Russian oil refineries was also discussed at the Miami meeting.

According to people familiar with the meeting, Kushner reiterated that Washington has repeatedly asked Ukraine to stop these attacks. The White House says strikes on Russia’s energy infrastructure contribute to rising international fuel prices.

The U.S. administration’s approach is for Ukraine to stop the attacks, while Russia benefits from the easing of oil restrictions. In this way, Moscow would face diplomatic pressure to make concessions in return.

The proposal has caused concern in Kyiv and in the U.S. Congress. Critics fear that additional revenue from energy exports will strengthen the Russian economy and help finance the war, without securing concessions from the Kremlin.

Alexander Novak, Russia’s deputy prime minister responsible for energy, said Russia could increase supplies of oil products to international markets by up to 3.5 million tons per month by the end of the year.

Novak said the increase would be carried out in gradual steps: 300,000 tons in October, 500,000 tons in November and one million tons in December, before reaching the target capacity.

The Trump administration has justified the temporary easing of restrictions by the possibility that additional supplies will lower energy prices in the U.S. Fuel prices are a politically sensitive issue for Republicans ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.

Meanwhile, it remains unclear what impact the decision will have on the market, as developments in the Middle East and the war in Iran are still putting pressure on the global energy market.

Putin seeks territorial gains, while Ukraine opposes concessions

The U.S. diplomatic plan to bring Moscow back to negotiations is running into mistrust from Ukraine and some European countries toward the Kremlin’s intentions.

A person close to the Kremlin said Putin may agree to return to talks if he secures the remaining 11% of Donbas. Moscow aims for full control of this territory, which it would present to the Russian public as a victory.

Kyiv has declared it will not hand over other territories to Russia. However, Ukraine has not ruled out the possibility of an agreement to freeze the conflict along the current front lines.

Trump has also mentioned the possibility of an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, but the sides have not confirmed so far that they have reached such an agreement. Russia continues attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, while the Kremlin has rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s proposal for a full 60-day ceasefire.

During the talks in Miami, American officials did not threaten to cut off military aid or intelligence sharing if Ukraine refused to stop attacks on Russian refineries.

The oil deal has added to the clashes between Kyiv and Washington. Volodymyr Zelensky called the American decision a “gift for Putin,” saying the easing of restrictions gives economic strength to Russia while it continues military aggression.

Trump, for his part, has publicly criticized Zelensky and claimed that the Ukrainian president has had many opportunities to end the war.

Despite the disagreements, discussions between the sides have continued on security guarantees for Ukraine and financing for the country’s reconstruction. European officials also took part in the Miami meeting, while representatives of the World Bank joined online.

According to sources informed about the talks, Ukrainian representatives left without taking any formal commitment. However, they indicated that they could consider an energy ceasefire if Russia acted the same way.