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Russia has outlined potential areas for economic cooperation with the administration of President Donald Trump, including a possible return to the use of the U.S. dollar in bilateral transactions, according to Bloomberg News citing an internal memo from the Kremlin.
The document, dated this year and deemed high-level, identifies seven areas where the economic goals of Moscow and Washington could align once an agreement on the war in Ukraine is reached.
Among the highlighted points are cooperation to promote fossil fuels over renewable energy, as well as potential joint projects in natural gas, maritime oil transport, and the exploitation of strategic minerals, which could benefit American companies.
The information emerges in a context where the United States has been formulating plans for a possible easing of sanctions on Russia, while President Trump seeks to restore relations with Moscow and move towards ending the conflict in Ukraine.
However, in January, a U.S. official indicated that Trump would allow a bipartisan sanctions bill aimed at countries that maintain trade relations with Russia to be processed in Congress, which shows that the debate over the restrictions remains open in Washington.
On the other hand, this Thursday the Kremlin stated that “it would not want any escalation” with the United States following Washington's threat to impose tariffs on countries that send oil to Cuba.
However, the statements from Russian presidential spokesman Dmitri Peskov hinted at a more complex position: Moscow is not seeking a direct confrontation, but neither is it distancing itself from its energy support for Havana amid increasing U.S. pressure.
Peskov reacted to the warning stemming from the executive order signed on January 29 by President Donald Trump, which declares a "national emergency" concerning Cuba and enables sanctions and tariffs against third countries that supply crude oil to the island.
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