Yaroslav Konoshchuk18:32, 08.05.25

Apparently, the option of exporting Russian gas through the Ukrainian GTS with the participation of an American intermediary is being discussed.

The United States and Russia are discussing the possibility of the United States helping to restore Russian gas sales to the EU , Reuters reported, citing sources.

According to the publication, the negotiations are discussing the possibility of American investors acquiring a stake in the Nord Stream gas pipeline connecting Russia and Germany, or in the gas pipeline crossing Ukraine, or in Gazprom itself. 

The mechanism for supplying Russian gas to the EU could look like this: American firms would act as intermediaries, buying gas from Gazprom and delivering it to Europe, including Germany. Two sources told the publication that diplomatic talks involving potential American investors were also considering the idea of ​​an American buyer buying Russian gas and then exporting it to Europe to ease European political opposition to resuming supplies of Russian “blue fuel.”

Also, the option of exporting Russian gas through the Ukrainian GTS with the participation of an American intermediary is reportedly being discussed.  

The publication adds that Russia’s return to the European market was discussed during a meeting between US Special Representative Steve Witkoff and the Russian President’s Commissioner for Investment Kirill Dmitriev. 

A spokesman for Witkoff declined to comment when asked whether the issue of exporting Russian gas to Europe had been discussed. A representative of the fund, which is headed by Dmitriev, denied that such discussions had taken place. He noted:

“There are currently no such discussions.”

The agency’s interlocutors close to the bilateral negotiations say that the resumption of Russian gas supplies to the EU could help cement a peace agreement to end the Russian-Ukrainian war. 

The European Commission has declined to comment on the possibility of Russian gas returning to the European market. Earlier, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke out against the return to Russian energy supplies.

“Some still say that we should reopen the tap of Russian gas and oil. This would be a mistake of historic proportions, and we will never allow this to happen,” she said at a meeting of the European Parliament on May 7.

However, there are not only political obstacles to the return of Russian gas to the EU. The Nord Stream pipeline is damaged, and only one pipe can pump gas, Reuters adds.

Russian gas imports to the EU

The European Union intends to completely abandon the import of Russian gas by the end of 2027. In the first stage, the bloc plans to ban the import of gas under spot contracts, and in the second – to stop the purchase of liquefied gas from Russia.

In connection with the refusal of Russian gas, the EU is looking for a way to terminate existing contracts without paying additional compensation . Using the war in Ukraine to declare force majeure may be insufficient from a legal point of view, said one of the EU representatives.

(C)UNIAN 2025