Moscow Confirms It Has $12 Trillion Economic Cooperation Package for U.S.

Feb. 14—Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, when asked for comment on a Feb. 12 article in Bloomberg News that claimed the Russians were offering a $12 trillion package of cooperative economic development to the United States, did not deny its existence. And while the Bloomberg article claimed that the offer was in some way tied to a peace deal in Ukraine, Peskov did not mention any tie, stating: “This Bloomberg article explains something that is quite obvious. Of course, we are offering cooperation. Of course, companies from both countries are potentially interested in this cooperation — so there you have joint ventures.”

The report also claims that Russia wants to re‑enter the global dollar payments system, from which it has been barred since the start of the war four years ago. Russia has not refused to use dollars — it was the United States that imposed restrictions on the use of the currency, Peskov said yesterday.

Sources close to the White House say that the U.S. has chosen not to comment on the proposal, which was first exposed — hysterically — by NATO’s Ukrainian dictator Volodymyr Zelenskyy to indicate why President Donald Trump was putting pressure on Ukraine to sign off on a “bad deal” that would give Russia Ukrainian territory in the Donbass. The Bloomberg article made a similar inference and said the proposals were being carried by special Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who maintains a close relationship with Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. Zelenskyy, who said he had obtained the memo from his intelligence service, labeled it the “Dmitriev package.” The White House would have preferred to keep the package quiet as the Ukraine negotiations proceed, to avoid letting the NATO propaganda machine to make it appear that Trump is selling out Zelenskyy and Ukraine for a "big bucks deal."

White House Source: Package Real, but Separate From Ukraine Deal

The source close to the White House confirmed the basic outlines of the package in the news reports but stressed that it is a matter of separate discussion between the two superpowers and their leaders and is not in any way tied to the Ukraine deal. “The two countries can move forward on these and other proposals, including the Bering Strait tunnel plan, which was discussed by [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and Trump in Anchorage last year, on their own merits,” the source stated. “These plans would be mutually beneficial to both countries and will help restore trust and cooperation in their relationship.”

The source confirmed that the plans have already been discussed with relevant companies and individuals in the U.S. and in Russia as well. “This is very exciting.”

The source said that the pressure being put by Trump on Zelenskyy is because “he is not acting seriously to make a deal, refusing to make a real proposal on territory concessions.” The source said that if there is no progress in the negotiations and no framework for a deal after the next round of talks, Trump is prepared to walk away from the negotiations and let Ukraine suffer a crushing defeat on the battlefield in the weeks ahead.

Bloomberg Memo Outlines Seven Areas of U.S.–Russia Cooperation

The Bloomberg article, which purports to be based on an internal Russian memo on the subject, does not go into details of the proposals but gives an outline of their content, talking about a “wide‑ranging economic partnership” between Russia and the United States.

It makes the point that Russia wants relief from restrictions that have cut it off from the dollar payment system. Russia reportedly views the restoration of dollar‑based settlements as possibly part of sanctions relief in the Ukraine peace deal.

The memo outlines seven areas of possible U.S.–Russia cooperation:

• Beyond regaining access to dollar transactions, Moscow reportedly seeks long‑term contracts for American aircraft to modernize Russia’s commercial fleet, as well as joint ventures in hard‑to‑recover oil extraction and liquefied natural gas production.
• The proposals also include cooperation in nuclear energy and expanded mining projects for lithium, copper, nickel, and platinum.
• The Kremlin signals it is ready to factor in previous American investments in Russia and contribute to compensation for losses incurred after Western companies exited the market following the start of the “Special Military Operation” in Ukraine four years ago.
• U.S. firms would receive preferential treatment if they return to Russia’s market.
• The plan also envisions joint efforts to promote fossil fuels globally as an alternative to the so‑called “green” climate‑focused policies.

Sources report that some of these matters have already been the subject of discussion with relevant parties. There is a general sense that these deals can be made, and that both Presidents want to make them.

Putin’s Re‑embrace of the Dollar Surprises Some Observers

The re‑embrace of the dollar by Putin caught some people off guard. They point out that Putin had been pushing for de‑dollarization of trade relations, claiming that the dollar had been weaponized through sanctions and related threats. He has encouraged his fellow members of the BRICS alliance to trade in national currencies and to set up their own non‑dollar payments system.

One source, however, said he did not find any contradiction here. “This is a proposal for $12 trillion in investment and trade,” the source stated. “It were best that this be carried out in dollars.”

The source reiterated that Trump’s pressure on Zelenskyy is entirely about the stalled peace negotiations. “He has to make concessions. If he doesn’t, the President will walk away, and Ukraine will be crushed. The Russians will win the terms on the battlefield.”