Key facts
- The proposal would sell Russian gas through a US intermediary, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed people involved in the talks.
- The report said the arrangement would still face legal obstacles under EU restrictions on Russian gas imports.
- Germany's gas storage was 61% full against an 80% target for November 1, the report said.
- Germany holds more than 20% of EU gas storage capacity, according to the report.
- European countries accounted for about 85% of Yamal LNG's recorded global deliveries in the first nine months of 2026, the report said.
The United States has discussed with Russia the possibility of restoring natural gas flows to Europe through pipelines running through Ukraine, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed people involved in the talks. The idea came from President Trump's envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff and was floated during trips to Moscow and Kyiv in September, the report said.
The proposal would involve selling Russian gas through a US intermediary, although such an arrangement would still face legal obstacles under the EU's restrictions on Russian gas imports. The Wall Street Journal also said it could create what it described as a lucrative opportunity for American investors.
Ukraine suspended all Russian gas transit at the start of 2025, when the five-year deal between Gazprom and Ukraine's Naftogaz expired, with Naftogaz rejecting the possibility of extending it. According to the report, the Ukrainian government could benefit from renewed transit through badly needed revenue.
The report said a new Russian gas deal would also lower gas prices for European consumers as winter begins and heating demand rises to a seasonal peak. EU gas storage is at lower than usual levels, with Germany especially exposed: storage stood at 61% full against a target of 80% for November 1, according to the report. Germany hosts the biggest share of EU gas storage capacity, at over 20%.
EU officials have repeatedly said there is no going back on the plan to phase out all Russian energy commodity imports, gradually, to avoid a shock from a sudden loss of supply. The EU's stated position is that it will not resume buying Russian energy commodities even after the war in Ukraine ends, and natural gas exports are set to end next year. In the first nine months of 2026, European countries were the biggest buyers of Russian liquefied natural gas, accounting for approximately 85% of Yamal LNG's recorded global deliveries, the report said.