United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is the federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for national energy policy, nuclear security, and energy-related scientific research. It is headed by the Secretary of Energy, a member of the President's Cabinet. The department is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and oversees a network of national laboratories.
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Trump administration weighs easing sanctions on Russian 'shadow fleet' tankers to cut freight rates
The Trump administration is considering easing US sanctions on vessels of the so-called Russian "shadow fleet" so they can carry non-sanctioned oil and petroleum products, aiming to lower record-high global tanker freight rates and boost Persian Gulf exports. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright raised the issue in a video address to the World Petroleum Congress in Riyadh this week. The move comes days after Trump temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian diesel, a step that drew sharp criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, European countries, and some Republican senators.
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US and Russia discussed American investor for Nord Stream, but White House denies talks and Germany pushes back
Reuters reported that US presidential envoy Jared Kushner and Kremlin-linked adviser Kirill Dmitriev have discussed attracting an American investor to restore the Nord Stream gas pipelines, meeting in Moscow and New York in recent weeks. The White House said any Russia deals must go through US development finance and Treasury bodies and that there have been no recent Nord Stream-specific talks. Germany said the pipelines are under European sanctions and that Berlin has no wish to approve their resumption.
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Putin envoy Dmitriev holds "constructive" talks with US officials in Washington on Ukraine war and energy cooperation
Kirill Dmitriev, Vladimir Putin's special envoy and head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund RDIF, met US officials in Washington on September 28 to discuss ending the war in Ukraine and possible post-war US-Russia energy initiatives. A US official described the talks as "constructive." The visit followed Donald Trump's meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky at the UN General Assembly in New York on September 22 and a separate series of meetings between Dmitriev and US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
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Trump presses Zelenskyy to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries ahead of New York meeting
On September 20, US President Donald Trump repeatedly pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries during a phone call, citing rising global diesel prices. The two leaders agreed to meet in New York on September 22 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, where Trump is expected to push for an energy ceasefire. On September 21, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Russia had "lost control" of its diesel industry because of the war with Ukraine and called the war "senseless and endless," while Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready for de-escalation steps only if Russia halted attacks on Ukrainian energy and critical infrastructure.