Arya News - The administration of US President Donald Trump has submitted documents to European counterparts outlining plans for the economic recovery of Ukraine and restoration of economic ties with Russia after the conflict, The Wall Street Journal newspaper reported.
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has presented several one-page proposals, according to the report on late Wednesday. The proposals have sparked tense negotiations between the United States and Europe, the newspaper added. Specifically, the US plans reportedly include US investments in Russian oil production in the Arctic and rare earth metal extraction, as well as restoring the previous system for delivering Russian energy resources to Europe and global markets. Ukraine"s reconstruction is expected to be carried out by US companies, funded by $200 billion in frozen Russian assets, the report said. US negotiators told the newspaper that European plans to use the frozen assets would deplete funds too quickly, while the US strategy focuses on investing Russian assets and growing them. European officials gave mixed reactions to the proposals, according to the report. One source likened the plans to Trump"s remarks about transforming the Gaza Strip into a Middle Eastern riviera after the war. Another compared the proposed energy deals between Russia and the US to the Yalta Conference in 1945. Since mid-November, the US has been promoting a new peace proposal for Ukraine. On December 2, Russian President Vladimir Putin received US special envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump"s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, in the Kremlin. The US representatives" visit to Russia was related to the discussion of the US peace plan for Ukraine. Following the start of Russia"s military operation in Ukraine in 2022, the European Union and the G7 nations froze nearly half of Russia"s foreign currency reserves, totaling approximately 300 billion euros ($350 billion). Around 200 billion euros are held in European accounts, predominantly in Euroclear, a Belgium-based securities depository. The Kremlin has maintained that any attempts to confiscate Russian assets amount to theft and are a violation of international law.