Trump proposes Europe bring Russia back into global economy

The administration of Donald Trump has presented European partners with a package of proposals outlining possible conditions for Russia’s return to the global economic system. However, the US documents have sparked sharp disputes between Washington and key allies in Europe.

This was reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Trump wants to persuade Europe that cooperation with Russia would be beneficial

According to the outlet, one of the documents contains the idea of using approximately $200 billion in frozen Russian assets for large-scale investments in the Ukrainian economy.

This refers to projects that include infrastructure construction, as well as the creation of a major data center that, according to the proposal, would operate on electricity from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is currently occupied by Russian forces and urgently requires repairs to remain operational.

Separately, the documents outline plans for restoring the Russian economy and reintegrating it into global markets. In such a scenario, American corporations could enter a number of Russia’s strategic sectors — from rare-earth metal and mineral extraction to resource exploration and drilling in the Arctic. The document also includes the idea of gradually restoring Russian energy exports to Europe and other regions.

Is Europe ready to resume economic cooperation with Russia?

However, the reaction of several European officials was sharply critical. One source compared the American proposals to the absurd idea of building a "Riviera-style resort in Gaza."

Another official noted that such an approach resembles an economic version of the 1945 Yalta Conference, where the victors of World War II effectively divided Europe into spheres of influence.

European capitals fear that implementing these plans would allow Moscow to rebuild its economic strength and channel additional resources into reinforcing its military capabilities. Intelligence assessments cited by WSJ indicate that the Russian economy has been in a technical recession for about six months and is facing serious structural problems.

Meanwhile, Washington is convinced that Russia’s frozen assets could serve as the foundation for a much larger fund. One US official involved in the negotiations stated that, under US management, the assets could grow to $800 billion.

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