longer.blue

“A New York Times investigation found that a sanctioned Russian energy giant secretly funded an American company pitching an Alaska gas project discussed in Ukraine peace talks. The company, Polar LNG, markets itself with American flags and a bald eagle as “America’s Arctic Advantage,” and plans to use Russian technology to liquefy and export natural gas from Alaska’s North Slope. Putin discussed the broader idea with Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner last month, though a U.S. official said it was only mentioned broadly and there’s no indication the envoys knew of Polar LNG’s Russian ties. The company’s former CEO, Joel Riddle, says he resigned after learning that at least some of its funding came from Novatek, a Kremlin-linked firm under partial U.S. sanctions, and that he warned the Trump administration before leaving. Novatek has now confirmed it is moving to take a minority stake in the project, a striking effort by a Russian company to own a piece of American gas production. The project’s Novatek connections are complicated by the new Graham sanctions law, which specifically targets the company, though Trump waived the law’s Russia sanctions last week.” "It's not only unlawful, but it's not in the U.S. interest to have Russian technology controlling the commercialization of Arctic gas in the North Slope," Mr. Riddle said in a brief interview. These previously unreported tensions were also detailed in legal memos that Mr. Riddle attached to his resignation letter, which was reviewed by The New York Times. The memos, prepared by Baker Botts, an international law firm, said the Treasury Department's sanctions enforcement unit had raised concerns that Polar LNG had ties to Novatek that might present "potential Russia-related sanctions concerns.". From Aaron Parnas newsletter