Trump Reportedly Pushes Return of Russian Gas to Europe Through Ukraine as Part of Energy Ceasefire

The Trump administration is reportedly pushing to restore Russian natural gas sales to Europe through pipelines crossing Ukraine, a proposal intended to secure an energy ceasefire before winter that faces resistance from European governments.

The initiative would use an American intermediary to sell Russian gas, potentially creating business opportunities for U.S. investors while providing Moscow with an incentive to halt attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, according to officials and people familiar with discussions cited by The Wall Street Journal.

U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff raised the idea during September visits to Moscow and Kyiv. Ukraine would benefit from fees paid to transport the gas across its territory.

The proposal would challenge Europe's effort to eliminate Russian energy dependence following Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Under European Union legislation described in the report, purchases of Russian natural gas must end by the close of 2027.

Washington has proposed placing Russian gas revenue in an escrow account in a third country to prevent the Kremlin from using the proceeds to finance its war, a senior U.S. official told the Journal. However, the report does not establish that an American intermediary would satisfy European restrictions or that European governments have accepted the arrangement.

The push has gained urgency since Ukraine resumed attacks on Russian oil refineries Friday after an almost two-week pause undertaken under pressure from President Donald Trump, according to the newspaper. Russia continued attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure during that pause.

Three-way negotiations involving Washington, Moscow and Kyiv are planned for mid-November in Abu Dhabi, the outlet added.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that an immediate restart of Russian gas exports to Europe was impossible because of the "situation on the ground," according to Russian state news agency TASS, as cited by the Journal. He left open the possibility of future sales if buyers and sellers reached an agreement.

European opposition remains a major barrier as officials view dependence on Russian fuel as a security vulnerability, and the bloc's energy commissioner, Dan Jorgensen, has argued that its ban should remain permanent. "I certainly would not trust Russia," Jorgensen said in an October interview with a Hungarian newspaper that his office confirmed, according to the Journal.

The administration's position marks a reversal from Trump's first term, when he criticized Germany's support for Nord Stream 2 and imposed sanctions on the pipeline project in 2019.

U.S. officials now consider a possible reopening of Nord Stream as part of a broader settlement addressing the war and Russia's relationship with Europe, the newspaper reported. Those damaged Baltic Sea pipelines would require repairs and face political and regulatory obstacles.

The Ukrainian route offers a faster option as its connections through Slovakia could carry gas onward to Austria and Germany, and deliveries continued until January 2025 despite the war.

Europe's energy pressures could complicate its resistance. The Journal reported that underground gas storage was approximately 75% full, leaving supplies below the nine-year average heading into winter. Disrupted Qatari liquefied natural gas shipments amid the Iran conflict have added to supply concerns and higher costs.