Trump administration weighs lifting sanctions on Russia's RDIF
Washington is reviewing a Russian request to remove sanctions on the Russian Direct Investment Fund amid talks on diesel exports and war negotiations.
The Trump administration is privately considering a request from Moscow to lift US sanctions on the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), a move that would roll back one more element of Washington’s economic pressure on Russia.
U.S. officials have long viewed the fund as a central vehicle for Moscow’s overseas economic influence; some American officials have described it as a "slush fund" linked to projects of Kremlin interest.
Russian offer tied to diesel exports
According to people familiar with the discussions, Russian representatives have raised the removal of RDIF sanctions as part of talks that would allow the fund to participate in exports of Russian diesel to the United States. A U.S. official confirmed that the administration is reviewing the request.
That same official said the review is taking place in the context of broader efforts to improve U.S.–Russia relations and attempts to end the war in Ukraine. He described Kirill Dmitriev, who leads the RDIF, as "a useful representative" in negotiations about ending the war.
Removing sanctions from the RDIF would ease a significant channel of economic pressure: the fund controls billions of dollars and invests across Russia, often alongside partners from the Middle East and other regions.
Photo: press material from the event
