The Trump administration has used a prospective sale of Russian oil giant Lukoil's foreign assets as a bargaining point in negotiations with Russia over ending the four-year war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin raised the transaction with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at a Sept. 5 Kremlin meeting, according to The New York Times. The assets, which include oil fields, refineries and gas stations worldwide, are estimated at roughly $20 billion. The group pursuing them includes American investor Todd Boehly, two Middle Eastern groups with business ties to Witkoff or Kushner, and an arm of the U.S. government. A senior administration official said Witkoff and Kushner are helping negotiate financial terms intended to secure an upfront payment and profits for the United States, including from gas stations in New Jersey. It remains unclear whether either negotiator would personally benefit, while the overlap between their private business relationships and diplomacy has raised conflict-of-interest concerns.