'Civil war': Trump officials feud over plan to help Putin

Key members of President Donald Trump's administration are in a backstage "civil war" over whether or not to ease energy sanctions on Russia, The Daily Beast reported on Thursday.

The sanctions, put in place to try to starve Russia of the funding to continue its brutal military invasion and occupation of Ukraine, sent shockwaves through global markets when adopted, forcing Europe to pivot away from its longstanding reliance on Russian oil and gas.

"Trump’s Russia-friendly dealmaker-in-chief, Steve Witkoff, has reportedly led the charge to bring the Kremlin back into the fold, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio is wary of doing business with Putin," reported Leigh Kimmins. "Witkoff, who in February said he had developed a 'friendship' with Putin, is keen to appease the Kremlin. If he gets his way, the pipeline connecting Russia and Germany, known as Nord Stream 2, will be re-commissioned."

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Rubio, on the other hand, who has spent most of his career as a neoconservative anti-Russia hawk, "is keen to speak with Russia about a peace deal with Ukraine, [but] is reportedly apprehensive about doing business with Putin."

According to the report, Rubio and Witkoff have responded to the reporting, originally made by Politico, with a joint statement that “This is false."

"Neither of us have had any conversations about lifting sanctions on Russia as part of a peace deal with Ukraine. This is just totally fictitious and irresponsible reporting from Politico, a fifth-rate publication. If they have an ounce of journalistic integrity, they will fully retract this piece of fiction," the duo said.

Trump, who frequently asserts that Russia would never have invaded Ukraine had he been re-elected in 2020, has insistently pushed for Ukraine and Russia to come to a "peace deal," and pressured Ukraine to accept the recognition of Russian annexation of occupied Ukrainian territory.