Oil diplomacy between the United States and Russia is complicated by U.S. sanctions, but Trump may seek to combine the carrot of sanctions relief with the stick of additional sanctions to induce Russia to help support prices. While Trump has been discussing oil prices with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Russian oil company Rosneft sold its Venezuelan assets to another Russian firm, possibly clearing the path to lift U.S. sanctions on Rosneft's trading arm as a face-saving favor to Putin.