The Globe and Mail reports in its Monday, Feb. 24, edition that Kremlin officials are promoting lucrative investment deals for U.S. energy companies in an attempt to persuade President Trump that siding with Moscow could yield economic gains by ending the war in Ukraine and lifting sanctions. A New York Times dispatch to The Globe reports that the prospect of attracting Western companies may face skepticism due to their recent experiences in the country. Kirill Dmitriev, a Kremlin financial official, remains optimistic about these opportunities, but energy companies must consider the trade-off between access to resources and the reputational risks of supporting a government involved in conflict. University of Texas at Austin energy analyst Ben Cahill says, "Above ground risk is the killer," using industry parlance for political and legal problems. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Western energy giants including Exxon Mobil, BP and Shell spent years carving out a role for themselves in the Russian oil industry. However, when Russia invaded Ukraine, all of these companies felt compelled to either put their businesses on ice or walk away, leading to billions of dollars in write-offs.