The United States has proposed restoring Russian gas supplies to Europe, including reviving the Nord Stream pipeline system, as an economic incentive for Moscow to agree to a settlement of its war against Ukraine, The Economist reported on Thursday, Oct. 22.
The magazine described the proposal as Washington’s latest prospective concession to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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However, some of the benefits under discussion would require decisions by European governments and institutions, rather than an agreement between Washington and Moscow alone.
Europe’s gas market is not Washington’s to reopen
EU countries adopted a legally binding phaseout of Russian gas imports in January.
Under the phaseout timetable, imports under remaining long-term Russian liquefied natural gas contracts must stop from Jan. 1, 2027. The corresponding ban on long-term pipeline supplies takes effect on Sept. 30, 2027, with a possible postponement until Nov. 1 if winter gas-storage targets are at risk.
Restoring Russian supplies on a lasting basis would therefore conflict with the bloc’s existing legal framework.
Nord Stream faces additional obstacles. As Kyiv Post previously reported, Germany’s government opposes reopening the pipelines, which are also subject to US and EU sanctions.
Nord Stream 1 stopped operating in 2022, while Nord Stream 2 never entered commercial service. Three of the system’s four lines were damaged in underwater explosions in September 2022. Any revival would require regulatory approval, alongside decisions about the damaged infrastructure.
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Kyiv fears concessions could come before peace
The gas proposal forms part of a broader package of potential economic and political benefits for Russia, according to The Economist. These include commercial agreements with American companies, sanctions relief and normalized political relations.
Ukraine would reportedly be offered an investment package and EU membership in exchange for abandoning its ambition to join NATO. The proposals also envisage a demilitarized zone in the Donbas, the eastern Ukrainian region comprising Donetsk and Luhansk.
These remain reported negotiating proposals, rather than an agreed settlement. EU membership, like access to Europe’s energy market, cannot be guaranteed by Washington.
For Ukrainian negotiators, a key concern is the order in which concessions would take effect. They fear US representatives could pursue profitable economic agreements with Russia before Moscow ends the war, according to the magazine.
Earlier this month, Reuters reported discussions about bringing an American investor into Nord Stream. At the time, a White House official said there had been no recent Nord Stream discussions, while another US official described a deal as unlikely in the medium term.
Negotiations continue amid disputes over US support
The renewed diplomatic effort follows US special envoy Steve Witkoff’s Oct. 21 meeting with Putin in St. Petersburg.
Witkoff traveled to Russia after talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders in Oslo. The discussions covered security guarantees, territorial questions, sanctions and Ukraine’s postwar economy.
On Tuesday, Oct. 20, Zelensky said proposals discussed in Norway would be presented to Russia, after which Kyiv would await Putin’s response.
He also confirmed that US intelligence sharing for early warnings of Russian attacks was working again. At the time, he said he expected progress within 48 hours on Patriot interceptors and Starlink restrictions; that statement did not itself confirm deliveries or the removal of restrictions.
Hours after the Oslo talks, US President Donald Trump said Ukraine “has to want to make a deal”, claiming that Washington and Europe had spent “a fortune” supporting Kyiv and that Europe was tired of the conflict.
European governments, meanwhile, have been weighing additional support for Ukraine as Washington eases pressure on Moscow, underscoring the differences between the prospective benefits US negotiators are discussing and the decisions Europe is prepared to make.
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