The United States has internally discussed using Russian nuclear-powered icebreakers to support gas and LNG development in Alaska as a possible deal to pursue during President Donald Trump's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters news agency.
Trump was on Friday holding a "high stakes" meeting with Putin to discuss a Ukraine ceasefire and end the deadliest conflict in Europe since WW2.
The talks, at a Cold War-era air force base in Anchorage, are the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since Trump returned to the White House.
One source told Reuters that the icebreaker proposal has been considered among White House officials as a potential agreement to secure at the summit.
The broader US-Russia negotiations over Ukraine have also included discussions on potential business deals, which the White House plans to continue pursuing during the meeting, the source added.
Russia operates the world's only fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers, crucial for maintaining year-round shipping on the Northern Sea Route, a strategic Arctic path for energy and trade.
Mega projects
Trump's administration is promoting the $44 billion Alaska LNG project, which would ship liquefied natural gas via an 800-mile pipeline from Alaska’s north to Asian markets, as an alternative to Russian LNG.
Another proposed venture, Qilak LNG, is targeting annual production of 4 million tonnes for export to Asia.
Mead Treadwell, a Qilak LNG founder, said it would not be unusual for a US LNG project to use icebreakers from any nation authorised by Washington.
"But we haven't specifically asked for that," he said.
An industry source told Reuters that Alaska LNG had "no identified needs for Russian icebreakers."
It was unclear which, if any, project might benefit from such an arrangement if a deal were reached.
Nuclear icebreakers could also be used to transport construction materials and heavy equipment to Alaska’s remote, infrastructure-poor regions, where harsh weather and sea ice pose logistical challenges.
