US pushes to restart Russian gas exports through Ukraine using American intermediary - WSJ
The United States is pushing to resume Russian natural gas exports to Europe through Ukraine, with an American intermediary handling sales, as part of efforts to secure an energy ceasefire ahead of winter, The Wall Street Journal reported on November 1. The proposal faces opposition from European officials and could create lucrative opportunities for U.S. investors.
According to the WSJ, U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner raised the proposal during visits to Moscow and Kyiv in September.
The plan would involve selling Russian gas through an American intermediary to circumvent European sanctions, people who attended the discussions told the newspaper.
According to Ukrainian and European officials cited in the report, transit revenues would be deposited into a third-party account intended to prevent Russia from using the proceeds to finance its war. Ukraine would receive a share of the revenue.
U.S. officials reportedly believe that restoring gas transit would give Russian President Vladimir Putin a powerful financial incentive to agree to an energy ceasefire.
Washington has also presented the proposal to European governments as a way to reduce gas prices ahead of winter.
European resistance
European officials have strongly criticized the proposal.
A Norwegian official told the WSJ that the idea contradicted the European Union's fundamental principles, while a senior official from another European country compared it to the 1938 Munich Agreement, under which Britain and France accepted Nazi Germany's annexation of part of Czechoslovakia.
The proposal was reportedly put on hold after Ukraine suspended strikes on Russian oil refineries for nearly two weeks under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump. Ukrainian strikes resumed on October 30.
The United States is also considering restoring Russian gas deliveries through the Nord Stream pipelines to Germany as part of a broader peace and security agreement addressing both the war in Ukraine and Russia's relations with European countries, according to the report.
Europe has sharply reduced its dependence on Russian gas since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russia now accounts for approximately 11% of European gas supplies, compared with 45% before the invasion, the WSJ reported.
Under current EU rules, member states are expected to phase out Russian gas purchases by the end of 2027.