US pushes to restore Russian gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine

The United States is pressing for the fastest possible restoration of Russian natural gas deliveries to Europe through pipelines crossing Ukraine, as part of negotiations aimed at an energy truce ahead of winter. The Wall Street Journal reported this, citing American and European officials; the Ukrainian outlet European Pravda relayed the story. The issue touches both the war in Ukraine and Europe's energy security.

How the plan would work

The idea was put forward in September by US special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff during trips to Moscow and Kyiv. According to the paper's sources, Russian gas would be sold via an American intermediary in order to bypass European sanctions. Participants in the discussions said it could become a profitable opportunity for American investors.

White House representatives proposed that Russia deposit revenue from gas sales to Europe into an account in a third country, so the Kremlin could not use the money to finance the war. The US tried to convince the European Union of this, even though current EU law requires all purchases of Russian natural gas to be fully halted by the end of 2027.

Arguments and resistance

The question became especially pressing after Ukraine resumed strikes on Russian oil refineries. The Americans believe that a return to the European market would give Russian President Vladimir Putin an incentive to agree to a deal, and would give Kyiv income from transit fees.

Sources among European officials say, however, that the EU broadly rejects bringing Russian gas back to its markets. The US, for its part, is now considering a possible restart of the Nord Stream pipeline as a potentially important element of a broader settlement, one that would not only end the war in Ukraine but also resolve long-standing disputes between Russia and America's European allies.

Earlier developments

It was previously reported that the US proposed that European countries unfreeze part of Russia's sovereign assets, blocked after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and transfer them to a financial structure under Washington's control in order to restart peace talks. On 9 October, US President Donald Trump said he had spoken with Putin and reached an agreement on supplies of Russian diesel fuel to American and global markets.