US, Russia discuss American stake in Nord Stream pipelines and Lukoil assets - Reuters
Senior US and Russian officials, including presidential envoy Jared Kushner, have discussed bringing American investors into the Nord Stream gas pipelines and potentially acquiring Russian energy assets, Reuters reported on Oct. 8, citing people familiar with the talks.
The discussions involve Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, and Kirill Dmitriev, a close adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to Reuters, five people familiar with the situation confirmed talks about bringing a US investor into the Nord Stream pipelines, which previously supplied Russian gas to Germany.
Kushner and Dmitriev have met in Moscow and New York in recent weeks. Two sources said the pipeline issue remained on the agenda, although it was unclear how extensively they discussed it during those meetings.
A White House official said there had been "no Nord Stream discussions recently" and that any potential agreements would have to be negotiated with the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and the Treasury Department.
Both the United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on the pipelines, making their restart illegal under current restrictions.
Germany also opposes reopening them. A spokesperson for the German Economy and Energy Ministry told Reuters that the country had found alternatives to Russian gas and that government approval for restarting the pipelines was neither granted nor desired.
A US official said a deal was unlikely in the medium term because of the numerous obstacles.
Separate talks over Lukoil assets
Kushner and Dmitriev have also discussed a possible sale of European and other international assets belonging to Russian oil company Lukoil, including refineries and gas stations, two sources told Reuters.
Under one proposal, a consortium involving the DFC and investors from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates would acquire the assets, while US authorities would lift relevant sanctions.
A White House official said Kushner and US envoy Steve Witkoff had worked with the DFC on an arrangement involving an upfront payment and a share of profits for the United States.
The discussions come as European governments remain deeply wary of restoring economic ties with Moscow while Russia continues its war against Ukraine.
Poland opposes reopening Nord Stream, while Germany's governing coalition has also rejected the idea. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, however, supports restoring Russian gas imports.
No agreement has been announced, and the extent of Washington's interest in restarting Russian gas supplies to Europe remains unclear.