At the center of President Trump’s contentious plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war isn’t peace: it’s profit.
Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are negotiating with Russian officials to ensure U.S. businesses—and Trump’s friends—are in position to make a killing once the war ends, according to an exhaustive Wall Street Journal report published Friday.
“Russia has so many vast resources, vast expanses of land,” Witkoff, who last week was busted coaching Russians on how to best suck up to the president, told The Wall Street Journal.
Witkoff spoke to the paper about a future where Russia, the U.S., and Ukraine are all business partners.
“If we do all that, and everybody’s prospering and they’re all a part of it, and there’s upside for everybody, that’s going to naturally be a bulwark against future conflicts there. Because everybody’s thriving,” Witkoff said.
For Witkoff, Kushner, and the Russians, the goal is reportedly to revitalize Russia’s $2 trillion economy through joint Russia-U.S. ventures. At the center of the talks is $300 billion in frozen Russian central bank assets that Russia wants to give to U.S. businesses for investment projects and U.S.-led reconstruction of Ukraine.
Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, has been dangling lucrative Russia-U.S. ventures, such as exploiting Arctic mineral resources and teaming up with SpaceX on a joint mission to Mars.
Money from such projects would flow to Trump’s friends and megadonors. Gentry Beach, founder of investment firm America First Global , a college friend of Donald Trump Jr. and Donald Trump campaign donor, is in talks to acquire a stake in a Russian Arctic gas project if it is released from sanctions, according to The Journal.
Trump megadonor Stephen P. Lynch has been working with Trump Jr. to purchase the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which provides vital gas to Europe from Russia.
By coordinating with the U.S. on profitable business ventures, Russia believes it could become an economic powerhouse in Europe while driving a wedge between the United States and its traditional European allies.
Europe balked at President Trump’s 28-point peace plan—which Witkoff drafted based on a Russian plan— arguing it was overly generous to Russia. The deal had Ukraine concede territory and cut its military capacity, effectively neutering the nation’s sovereignty. The plan wasn’t popular in America either, as it received significant pushback from the GOP.
Europe responded with its own peace plan that amended Trump’s. The new plan makes territorial concessions a point of post-ceasefire talks and raises the cap on Ukraine’s military so the country can still defend itself effectively. Negotiations are ongoing.
The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Beast’s request for comment.
Spokesperson Anna Kelly told the Wall Street Journal, “The Trump administration has gathered input from both the Ukrainians and Russians to formulate a peace deal that can stop the killing and bring this war to a close. As the President said, his national security team has made great progress over the past week, and the agreement will continue to be fine-tuned following conversations with officials from both sides.”
Though the Journal’s report details the many ways in which Americans and Russians could profit from an eventual peace deal, it’s unclear how Ukraine would benefit.
Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, former Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, said he was leaving the government after he was “frozen” out of peace talks. In October, President Trump refused Ukraine’s request for Tomahawk missiles that they felt could help Ukraine negotiate with Russia more effectively.
Witkoff suggested Ukraine instead ask Trump for a ten-year tariff exemption to “supercharge” its economy.
The post Trump’s $2 Trillion Plan to Cash in on Ukraine ‘Peace’ Leaks appeared first on The Daily Beast.
