US envoys raise idea of restoring Russian gas flows to Europe
European officials voice skepticism, pointing to the EU's plan to end Russian gas imports by 2027 and to concerns over Moscow's leverage.
Published
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have raised the idea of resuming large-scale Russian gas imports to Europe with Ukrainian and European officials, as part of a potential Ukraine peace deal, the Trump administration has proposed.
European officials have responded with skepticism. They point to the EU's own plan to eliminate Russian gas imports by the end of 2027, and to concerns that renewed reliance on Russian supply would hand Moscow leverage over the continent.
Separate talks are reportedly exploring US investment in the Nord Stream pipeline system, adding a commercial dimension to the diplomatic push.
The proposal goes further than the diesel-export carve-out or the floated sale of Lukoil assets that have featured in earlier rounds of the peace process. It raises the prospect of restoring large-volume Russian pipeline gas flows into Europe itself, the exact outcome the EU's 2027 phase-out plan and its repeated sanctions-renewal debates were designed to prevent. The resistance from European officials mirrors the friction seen when Brussels balked at easing sanctions or lifting Ukraine export quotas, suggesting this idea faces similar institutional hurdles rather than quick adoption. The Nord Stream investment angle echoes the Lukoil asset talks, where US-linked bidders and envoys have inserted business interests into the negotiations. Were any version of this proposal to advance, it would mark a structural reversal of European energy policy, reaching well beyond the diesel and interceptor trade-offs that have so far dominated the talks.