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Trump Explores Lifting Sanctions on Russia’s Flagship Investment Fund

The move would be the latest U.S. concession to Moscow as President Trump pursues economic incentives he hopes will secure an end to war in Ukraine.

© Ramil Sitdikov/Reuters

Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Trump’s envoys, with Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, in Moscow last month.
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Book Review: ‘Princes and Thieves,’ by Matthew Cole

The new book by the reporter Matthew Cole connects $2 billion in slush funds from gulf state leaders to Trump’s son-in-law in an effort to influence U.S. policy.

© From left: Maxim Shipenkov/Pool via Reuters; Kylie Cooper/Reuters

The U.A.E. president Mohammed bin Zayed and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, in 2026.
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In U.S. Gas Talks With Kremlin, Hidden Financing for Alaska Project Emerges

Interviews and documents show a Russian energy giant secretly funded a U.S. firm. The deal has been discussed in talks to end the war in Ukraine.

© Daniel Acker/Bloomberg

Oil drilling rigs in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. The Polar LNG plan called for the company to tap into the giant load of natural gas available in the state’s northern reaches.
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In Trump’s Diplomacy, Insults Are a One-Way Street. Ukraine Is the Latest Example.

The latest rift with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine serves as a reminder that President Trump readily lashes out at other world leaders, only to grow outraged if they fight back.

© Alex Kent/The New York Times

President Trump’s belligerence leaves many world leaders reluctant to cross him for fear of blowback or even, depending on his mood, a fresh round of tariffs.
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