US Weighs Lifting Sanctions on Russian Investment Fund Amid Diesel Supply Talks

The administration of US President Donald Trump is considering lifting sanctions on a Russian state-backed investment fund as part of discussions on securing diesel supplies from Russia, according to a report by The New York Times cited by Anadolu Agency on Wednesday, October 28.

According to the report, Russian officials have asked Washington to remove sanctions on the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which has played an important role in facilitating arrangements for energy supplies to the United States.

A US official said the request to lift the restrictions was being reviewed through the established process. The initiative aims to “improve US-Russia relations and help bring the war to an end,” the official said.

The US official also spoke positively about RDIF chief Kirill Dmitriev, who serves as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy for international economic cooperation. Dmitriev was described as a “helpful envoy” to US representatives involved in negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.

The administration of then-US President Joe Biden imposed sanctions on the RDIF in February 2022, days after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. At the time, Washington described the fund as a “slush fund” for Putin.

The proposal to lift the sanctions remains under review, and no final decision has been announced.

Any decision to ease the restrictions could have implications for US-Russia economic relations, energy supply arrangements and diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine.