Russia and the United States are preparing to unveil new economic initiatives, including potential nuclear-powered data centers, as Washington seeks to overcome sanctions-related obstacles to a recently announced Russian diesel deal, a senior Kremlin envoy said Friday.
Kirill Dmitriev, President Vladimir Putin's special envoy for investment and economic cooperation, said Moscow and Washington were exploring several areas of collaboration that could move forward even before the war in Ukraine ends.
Speaking at the Russian Energy Week conference in Moscow, Dmitriev said discussions included joint data center projects that could use electricity generated by Russian nuclear power plants.
He said additional initiatives would be announced soon, describing the diesel agreement reached between U.S. President Donald Trump and Putin as a potential model for broader economic cooperation.
The developments come as the two countries navigate a complex sanctions landscape that threatens to complicate efforts to expand commercial ties.
Dmitriev said the U.S. Treasury Department had approached the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which he heads, for assistance in resolving payment difficulties linked to the diesel agreement.
According to Dmitriev, Washington asked the fund to facilitate transactions and address technical obstacles that could hinder implementation.
The RDIF would work to ensure payments were processed efficiently and reached their intended recipients, he said.
The agreement, announced by Trump last week, would allow Russian diesel to reach U.S. and international markets in an effort to lower fuel prices ahead of November's U.S. midterm elections.
Lower energy costs have become a key political priority for Trump, but the arrangement has drawn sharp criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and raised questions about the future of U.S. sanctions targeting Russian oil.
Implementing the deal would require Washington to ease certain restrictions, including measures imposed by the Trump administration itself.
Dmitriev acknowledged that overlapping sanctions had created considerable uncertainty over how the agreement could proceed.
"There are so many layers of sanctions piled on top of one another that everyone has become confused," he said, adding that U.S. officials were examining ways to remove the relevant restrictions.
He said discussions were already underway on possible sanctions relief, suggesting that Washington was actively seeking a workable solution.
However, Dmitriev warned that a separate U.S. sanctions and tariff measure, known as the Graham Act, could effectively shut down broader investment cooperation between the two countries.
The legislation, introduced by the late U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, is intended to intensify economic pressure on Moscow over its war in Ukraine.
Dmitriev argued that the measure would undermine potential Russian-American business ventures and limit both countries' ability to cooperate in stabilizing global energy markets.
He maintained that economic engagement could proceed alongside diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, with the diesel agreement potentially opening the door to additional projects.
The discussions underscore Moscow's push to revive commercial ties with Washington despite continuing tensions over Ukraine and extensive sanctions imposed on Russia.
While Dmitriev expressed optimism about further agreements, the proposed initiatives remain subject to significant legal and political hurdles as Washington weighs economic cooperation against its existing sanctions framework.
