Russia wants joint economic projects with US — but only if Washington stops linking them to peace in Ukraine

Russia is interested in joint economic projects with the US if Washington stops linking trade relations to a peace agreement on Ukraine, the Kremlin said on 13 May, Reuters reports. 

Currently, Russia remains under broad US sanctions largely tied to the war against Ukraine.

Those sanctions remain one of the West’s main sources of leverage over Moscow, while military support for Kyiv remains uncertain. If that leverage is weakened, it would represent a major strategic setback for Kyiv.

Kremlin wants business separated from war

Both Russian and American companies could potentially profit from a number of joint investment and economic projects, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated.

"To ⁠the extent that the American side is willing to delink the prospects for ​normalizing trade and economic relations from a Ukrainian settlement, or to the extent that a ​Ukrainian settlement occurs, then we hope the path to the implementation of a whole range of economic projects will be open," he said.

Putin proposes Arctic projects and tunnel linking Russia and US

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia and the US could jointly develop vast Arctic mineral reserves and also floated the possibility of projects involving Alaska.

His investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev, a key figure in negotiations between Moscow and Washington, proposed building a “Putin–Trump tunnel” under the Bering Strait to connect the two countries by rail.

Moscow talks about “peace” while continuing war against Ukraine

Efforts by US President Donald Trump to end the war have so far produced no breakthrough, although in May 2026, both Trump and Putin claimed they believe the war could be nearing an end after more than four years of intense fighting.

Despite repeated statements about a possible settlement, Russia continues its military operations and has shown no signs of readiness to make meaningful compromises.

Earlier, Euromaidan Press reported that Peskov claimed that a ceasefire and the start of peace negotiations will be possible after the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donbas, as well as the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts.

According to Peskov, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy must order the Armed Forces of Ukraine to cease fire and leave territories Russia considers part of its “regions.”