The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is proposing that Ukraine restore the transit of Russian gas to Europe as part of a peace agreement. This is reported by The New York Times, citing “people familiar with the negotiations,” according to UNN.
Details
It is noted that Trump’s envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff raised the idea during talks with Ukrainian and European officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv last month.
The Americans claim that, in order to encourage Russia to end the war, ... Ukraine should consider restoring the operation of the pipelines that previously transported Russian natural gas to Europe
It is indicated that this proposal would “turn decades of American energy policy on its head.” At the same time, European officials who took part in the negotiations reacted negatively to the idea, which would “undo years of efforts by the European Union, supported by Washington, to rid itself of Russian gas.”
But Trump’s representatives view the export of Russian gas as a potential part of a peace settlement, taking into account the revenue Ukraine would receive and what they consider the inevitable desire of European voters to obtain cheaper energy
The publication adds that Ukraine halted the transit of Russian gas in January 2025 and lost approximately $1 billion annually in transit revenue. The European Union has promised to completely abandon Russian gas by next year. Last year, Russia’s share of EU gas imports was 13%, compared with 45% in 2021.
To recap
According to Reuters, senior Russian and U.S. officials, including U.S. Special Envoy Jared Kushner, held talks on involving an American investor in the Nord Stream gas pipelines (“Northern Stream”), which supplied gas to Germany before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Trump's turn toward Russia has sparked Americans' discontent – media17.10.26, 02:16