A Pragmatic Peace Plan: US Dangles Economic Prizes to Russia

The United States is advancing a pragmatic, if controversial, peace plan for Ukraine that involves dangling significant economic prizes in front of Russia. This strategy is being pursued even as the US penalizes its ally, India, for its own economic ties with Moscow.
The prizes on offer are substantial. They include the potential for American energy giant Exxon Mobil to return to the multi-billion dollar Sakhalin-1 project, as well as the possibility of Russia acquiring US equipment for its sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 facility.
These offers are not being made out of goodwill, but as part of a calculated effort to create powerful incentives for Russia to engage in meaningful peace negotiations. It is a clear example of using economic leverage to try and resolve a major international conflict.
The controversy arises from the simultaneous punishment of India. The imposition of 50% tariffs on Indian goods for its Russian oil trade stands in stark contrast to the offers being made to Moscow, highlighting a flexible and results-oriented foreign policy that prioritizes outcomes over consistency.