U.S. special presidential envoy Steve Witkoff is pushing the White House to lift energy-related sanctions on Russia, Politico reported, citing officials familiar with internal deliberations. The proposal would roll back restrictions on Russian oil, gas and the shelved Nord Stream 2 pipeline, part of what Witkoff portrays as a broader effort to accelerate talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The initiative has met resistance inside the administration. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum argues that easing sanctions would strengthen Moscow and undermine U.S. ambitions to expand its own energy exports, according to the report. The split has triggered contentious debates among senior aides advising President Donald Trump. Congress is also weighing a harder line. A bipartisan Senate bill introduced in April seeks sweeping secondary sanctions and import tariffs of up to 500 percent on countries that continue buying Russian commodities. The clash between Witkoff’s proposal and the pending legislation underscores the uncertainty surrounding Washington’s next steps as the conflict in Ukraine drags on and Europe watches for shifts in U.S. policy toward Russian energy.