According to a WSJ report titled “Make Money not War”, Trump's special envoy to Russia Steve Witkoff, the US president's son-in-law Jared Kushner and Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian sovereign fund, worked on the plan for many months.
Their goal was to reintegrate Russia into the world market through economic projects worth billions of dollars — to the benefit of American companies.
According to the “WSJ” report, advisors and investors close to Trump they are already preparing specific large projects:
- exploitation of Arctic raw materials;
- cooperation with Elon Musk's SpaceX to organize a joint expedition to Mars;
- and even: possible reactivation of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
Moreover, according to the plan, American companies are to be given priority access to Russian assets worth billions of dollars frozen in Europe.
U.S. Special Presidential Envoy Steven Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia, April 25, 2025.Kremlin Press Office / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images / Contributor / Getty Images
This may explain why Trump he deliberately left out Europeans in his 28-point plan to end the war in Ukraine — a proposal that largely matched Russia's position. The plan was met with considerable criticism not only from Ukraine's European allies, but also from some Republicans, who described the proposal as a “Russian wish list.” There were also many questions in the public space about the actual origin of the document.
Plans have been developed in secret for months
According to an American daily report, the first versions of the plan came from Dmitriev, who was supposed to outline potential projects worth billions on Putin's request. They have been refined during subsequent meetings for months.
During the talks, Witkoff and other close Trump associates involved in the economy were partly on board bypass official diplomatic structures. The intelligence services and sanctioning authorities were apparently only partially informed.
Kirill Dmitriev in Anchorage, Alaska, August 15, 2025.Drew ANGERER / AFP / AFP
Diplomats sidelined, investors take the initiative
While Witkoff, a real estate developer, spoke directly with Putin about the prisoner exchange, territorial issues in eastern Ukraine and economic deals, seasoned diplomats such as Trump's official special envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg, they were increasingly sidelined. Instead, businessmen and investors gained influence.
Witkoff told the Wall Street Journal that Russia has “enormous resources and vast areas.” Therefore, he hopes that Russia, Ukraine and the United States will become business partners. “If we achieve this and everyone benefits from it and takes part in it, it will create a natural barrier against future conflicts. Because everyone will benefit from it,” Witkoff is quoted as saying by “WSJ.”
All? Ukrainians and Europeans may have different opinions on this matter.
