Part 7/18:
The Wall Street Journal paints a stark picture of this clandestine diplomacy, suggesting that influential figures—linked to Trump and Russian elites—are driven primarily by a relentless pursuit of profit. Meetings involving sanctioned billionaires like Gennady Timchenko and Yuri Kovaluk, as well as corporate giants like ExxonMobil, point to covert discussions on energy extraction, rare earth metals, and potential return to lucrative projects like the Sahalin gas field. The goal—to bypass traditional US security channels and enable American companies to swiftly penetrate Russia’s market — underscores business interests overtaking geopolitical stability.