“Russia has so many vast resources, vast expanses of land,” Witkoff, who last week was busted coaching Russians on how to best suck up to the president, told The Wall Street Journal.

“If we do all that, and everybody’s prospering and they’re all a part of it, and there’s upside for everybody, that’s going to naturally be a bulwark against future conflicts there. Because everybody’s thriving,” Witkoff said.

For Witkoff, Kushner, and the Russians, the goal is reportedly to revitalize Russia’s $2 trillion economy through joint Russia-U.S. ventures. At the center of the talks is $300 billion in frozen Russian central bank assets that Russia wants to give to U.S. businesses for investment projects and U.S.-led reconstruction of Ukraine.