US Proposal to Europe: Release Russian Assets and Transfer Them to an Entity Under Washington's Supervision

A US official also told Safir Arjan that the Donald Trump administration, in an effort to reduce high global shipping rates, is considering easing sanctions on so-called 'shadow fleet' vessels that have transported oil and petroleum products from countries including Russia, Iran and Venezuela.

The Financial Times newspaper wrote that the United States has proposed to European countries to release some of the Russian government assets that were seized during the Ukraine war and transfer them to an institution under the supervision of Washington, so that the peace talks can resume.

According to Ambassador Arjan's report, the Financial Times, quoting knowledgeable sources, reported that the United States made such a proposal to European countries in order to smooth the path of peace talks in Ukraine.

However, the British newspaper added that European representatives rejected the plan, which was presented by Steve Wittkoff and Jared Kushner, US envoys and negotiators.

In addition to this issue, an American official also claimed in a conversation with Ambassador Arjan that, in an effort to reduce the high rates of global transportation, the administration of President Donald Trump is considering reducing sanctions against the so-called "Shadow Fleet" ships that have transported oil and oil products from countries such as Russia, Iran, and Venezuela.

This action comes a few days after Donald Trump temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian diesel; An action that faced strong criticism from Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, European countries and some Republicans from Trump's party in the US Senate.

Both Zelensky and U.S. senators called the move a "pandering" to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Zelensky said in his latest interview that he felt "betrayed" by the deal.

This American official further told Reuters: "The new negotiations are based on the fact that the United States will probably allow legal oil to flow with ships that were previously sanctioned." This means crude oil or oil products that are not sanctioned by Washington, not Russian and Iranian oil that are subject to sanctions. The goal is to get more refined products and crude oil out of the Persian Gulf.

Meanwhile, the US Department of Energy claimed that any move to lift sanctions against Russia's shadow fleet "will not help the movement of oil or petroleum products."