Russian Official Defends Jared Kushner Amid Allegations of Business Dealings

<figure><img alt="Steve Witkoff, US. President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy, and Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, during a Board of Peace panel at the Whitby Hotel, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, U.S., September 23, 2026. REUTERS/Bing Guan" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/HZFVGOCY5NFLVOH4CWSA6COPVY.JPG?auth=6de37feb8607b083db0c49ebfcbfc29a325d941306817ba83b412b9b46f77a91&amp;smart=true&amp;width=4430&amp;height=2492" /><figcaption>Bing Guan / REUTERS</figcaption></figure><p>A senior Russian official has defended Jared Kushner following allegations of questionable dealings related to negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine.</p><p>Kushner and Steve Witkoff, the U.S. negotiators involved in the discussions, reportedly have connections to business interests that are attempting to acquire Russian oil assets as part of a potential peace agreement for Ukraine.</p><img alt="Kirill Dmitriev speaks with Jared Kushner prior to their meeting with Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Sept. 5, 2026. / GAVRIIL GRIGOROV / POOL/AFP via Getty Images" height="965" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/R2ARW67FQRFLXGQM7XSGFAGVMQ.jpg?auth=d21a5ff815f1c4ab795ea7df204369caa1068785a380e4621aabf2d66b64e2e8&amp;smart=true&amp;width=1716&amp;height=965" width="1716" /><p>After Kushner denied involvement in a similar deal in Israel via social media, Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev responded, stating, “Jared is a Peacemaker. Peacemakers get attacked for peacemaking because warmongers lavishly fund those attacks. But Peacemakers will prevail and warmongers will lose.”</p><img alt="Putin's envoy throws his support behind Kushner. / X" height="412" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/343A74WUJRBWNHNKD6BWIVNFIA.png?auth=68e87618009b5877b9da6fedaa61fd7fe64545040174faff8facf1b9930e7167&amp;smart=true&amp;width=1202&amp;height=412" width="1202" /><p>The New York Times reported on October 3, 2026, that Kushner and Witkoff have been negotiating a deal for U.S.-backed interests to acquire Russian assets, including significant oil fields, as part of a broader energy agreement.</p><p>Individuals who may benefit from this deal include a Trump campaign donor and a Qatar-based conglomerate led by Moutaz Al-Khayyat and Ramez Al-Khayyat, who both attended Trump’s second inauguration in 2025.</p><img alt="Kirill Dmitriev. / Contributor / Getty Images" height="5464" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/NFGWY6D2JRHYLLRUCFJ3I2RALU.jpg?auth=e4192475c2068cd8e2691a1e58ecc09ad724ba9d726734f76e3db3ed2206b3ba&amp;smart=true&amp;width=8192&amp;height=5464" width="8192" /><p>The Al-Khayyat brothers have partnered with Kushner and Ivanka Trump to finance a multibillion-dollar luxury hotel resort in southern Albania.</p><p>Other participants in the potential deal have connections to both the Trump family and Witkoff through the Trump family’s cryptocurrency company, World Liberty, which is partially managed by Witkoff’s son.</p><p>On October 1, 2026, CNN published a report detailing Kushner’s private equity firm having a stake in an Israeli company that supports businesses involved in Israel’s military operations.</p><img alt="Steve Witkoff. / Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters" height="3955" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/4GAW3FQSJNEI3OWXUSBVL75P4Q.JPG?auth=d59c8cbacf4219ef0e45b8b3d922aaa97ecfb04b260b69ba33a21301be7a166a&amp;smart=true&amp;width=5900&amp;height=3955" width="5900" /><p>The network reported that Kushner has avoided scrutiny over potential conflicts of interest related to his business dealings due to the voluntary nature of his role as a peace envoy.</p><p>Kushner denied the allegations on social media, asserting, “Misleading stories will not distract me from the work President Trump asked me to do: help end wars, bring people together, and pursue peace. That work is too important.”</p><img alt="Jared Kushner responds to reporting about his potential conflicts of interest. / X/Jared Kushner" height="520" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/OLLRIKKRVZDPPARLVY3NXJUJVA.png?auth=821ac25f83cbc635a0e6d32617eb6b8cf259ad632fb83234b9b346f349838f84&amp;smart=true&amp;width=1194&amp;height=520" width="1194" /><p>Dmitriev responded to Kushner on Saturday as the New York Times article about the Russia deal was being circulated.</p><p>A representative for Witkoff stated that he does not receive a government salary and has “no conflict of interest, and no financial stake in this matter.”</p><p>The White House, Kushner, and Witkoff did not immediately respond to requests for comment.</p><p>Hui Chen, a former Justice Department ethics adviser, expressed concern regarding the Russian oil deal, stating, “This is an alarming and very concerning set of entanglements. You have to question how the Trump administration is evaluating the different bidders involved here. Are the personal interests involved going to wrongly influence the outcome?”</p><p><a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/kremlin-rushes-to-defend-jared-kushner-as-murky-deal-is-exposed/">Read more at The Daily Beast.</a></p>