Dmitriev said the Russian Direct Investment Fund will work with the US to navigate layers of existing restrictions, adding that Moscow and Washington are also discussing joint LNG and Arctic energy projects. Meanwhile, oil analyst Tom Kloza reported that a tanker carrying 110,000 barrels of diesel departed St. Petersburg on Thursday bound for Norfolk, Virginia.
West Texas Intermediate crude rose above $100 a barrel and gasoline and diesel futures climbed Friday after a group of House Democrats and one Republican introduced legislation to block the deal. The bill faces steep odds with the Republican-controlled Congress out of session until after the November midterms and GOP leadership not backing the effort, while Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal accused Trump of conducting a "campaign of coercion against Ukraine."