The US has put Russian gas on the list of things it is willing to offer Moscow, with envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff proposing to restore sales to Europe through Ukraine, the Wall Street Journal reported.

European officials have met the proposal with scepticism, citing the EU plan to end Russian gas imports by the end of 2027 and the risk that renewed reliance would hand Moscow leverage. Italy's Prime Minister Meloni said a separate US-Russia diesel deal contradicts efforts to bring Putin to the table, and that the EU needs a representative in the negotiations. Germany's Merz said it would be absolutely unacceptable if the US, Russia and China tried to reach an understanding without the Ukrainians.

Gas is one offer among many. The envoys have pitched a diesel deal that would let Russia export more than 2.25 million barrels, and the Financial Times reported that the US is considering unfreezing some Russian assets. The two countries are also weighing a joint oil venture off Sakhalin after the war. Ukraine has paused strikes on Russian refineries under US pressure, the Wall Street Journal reported, and the pause is expected to last until after the US midterms.

None of it has shifted Moscow. A source close to the Kremlin said Putin would negotiate only after securing the remaining 11% of Donbas, and Russia's demand for the rest of the region has held through every offer so far. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak has also said Russia can reroute its gas and sell all of it to other buyers if Europe rejects it, which makes the European market a weak lever.

The next test is in Abu Dhabi, where the Kremlin says talks between Russia, the US and Ukraine will resume in November. Zelenskiy wants a team-level meeting in the first half of the month.

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