Senior U.S. and Russian officials, including U.S. envoy Jared Kushner and Kremlin economic envoy Kirill Dmitriev, have discussed bringing U.S. investors into the Nord Stream gas pipelines, which connect Russia and Germany, Reuters reported on Oct. 8. The discussions come alongside more advanced negotiations over the sale of Russian energy company Lukoil's international assets to a consortium involving U.S. and Gulf investors, some of whom have business ties to U.S. President Donald Trump's inner circle.