Hidden Alaskan energy ties
Novatek, Russia’s second-largest producer of liquefied natural gas, secretly funded a multibillion-dollar U.S. gas project in Alaska. Polar LNG, an American company aiming to liquefy and export natural gas from the North Slope, received this funding in potential violation of U.S. sanctions. John Riddle, the former CEO of Polar LNG, resigned from the company in September after he learned about the hidden ties to Novatek. Riddle told the New York Times the funding came from a company in the United Arab Emirates. He notified the Trump administration and urged an investigation. "It’s not only unlawful, but it’s not in the U.S. interest to have Russian technology controlling the commercialization of Arctic gas in the North Slope," Riddle said. This secret funding arrangement is a blatant violation of sanctions.
Negotiated energy deals
U.S. peace envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner discussed a proposal with Russian President Vladimir Putin in September regarding Novatek selling technology to Polar LNG as part of a business agreement between Washington and Moscow. Trump seeks to strike several energy deals to end the war against Ukraine. Another involves selling off parts of the Russian energy giant Lukoil to the U.S. government and investors with ties to Kushner and Witkoff. The deal was discussed only broadly, so it remains unclear if Witkoff or Kushner knew about the financial relationship between Novatek and Polar LNG. Novatek confirmed it is looking to acquire "minority shareholder" status in the Alaskan Polar LNG project.
| Deal Detail | Description |
|---|---|
| Novatek goal | Acquire "minority shareholder" status in Polar LNG |
| Trump deal | Purchase Russian diesel to offset U.S. fuel prices |
| Lukoil deal | Sell parts to the U.S. and investors |
President Trump showed indifference to Russian sanctions when he announced a surprise deal with Putin to purchase diesel from Moscow. The first tanker of Russian diesel is reportedly now bound for the U.S. The White House also issued another sanctions waiver to Russia during the last week. While Witkoff praised Putin as a "humanitarian," Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed the war in Ukraine is a narrow regional dispute involving only 11 percent of one part of the country.
