Mayur MohtaThe United States backs restarting Russian gas sales to Europe using pipelines that run through Ukraine, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing officials familiar with the matter.
US Backs Quick Return of Russian Gas Flows Via Ukraine
Washington favors a fast restart of Russian natural gas sales to Europe through Ukrainian territory. That’s according to the Wall Street Journal, which cited officials with knowledge of the matter.
The newspaper quoted its sources directly. “The US supports a prompt resumption of Russian natural gas sales to Europe via pipelines running through Ukraine,” the report states.
Witkoff and Kushner Floated the Plan in September
The Journal reports that this proposal came from US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner. They raised it during trips to Moscow and Kyiv last September.
Sources told the paper that Russian gas could flow through an American middleman under the plan. This setup would let traders sidestep European sanctions. It could also open fresh opportunities for US investors.
Nord Stream Restart Reportedly Under Discussion
According to the report, Washington is weighing whether to revive Nord Stream operations too. Officials reportedly see this as one piece of a much bigger deal.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned earlier that pushing Russia out of the global gas market carries real consequences. He noted this would raise costs for other nations as well.
Europe Still Winding Down Russian Energy Imports
Meanwhile, the European Union keeps phasing out Russian energy supplies step by step. A regulation passed in January 2026 sets clear deadlines for this shift.
Under that rule, remaining long term contracts for Russian LNG must end by early 2027. Pipeline gas contracts are set to wrap up by autumn of the same year.
Akshay Didwaniya
Aditya Didwaniya
