By Salma El-Sakka
The Trump administration is pushing to restore Russian natural gas sales to Europe through pipelines running through Ukraine, according to a Wall Street Journal report. U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff proposed the idea during trips to Moscow and Kyiv earlier this year as Washington seeks an energy truce before winter.
Energy ceasefire talks planned for Abu Dhabi
White House officials hope to announce an energy ceasefire ahead of trilateral peace negotiations scheduled for mid-November in Abu Dhabi. The talks would involve the United States, Russia, and Ukraine. Last winter, Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure left millions without power and heating as temperatures fell below zero.
Escrow account proposed for Russian proceeds
U.S. negotiators believe the prospect of Russia returning to the European gas market could incentivize President Vladimir Putin to halt attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. Kyiv would receive significant transit fees for gas flowing through its pipelines. A senior U.S. official said Russian proceeds from the sales would be deposited into an escrow account to prevent the Kremlin from using the funds to support its war effort.
EU sanctions timeline and LNG imports
The European Union has legislated to end all purchases of Russian natural gas by the end of 2027. However, short-term LNG contracts signed before June 17, 2025, were banned as of April 2026, while new Russian import contracts were banned as of March 18, 2026. A nine-month gap for short-term contracts concluded between those dates remains valid, allowing continued flows. In the first nine months of 2026, the EU imported a record 12.18 million tonnes of Russian Arctic LNG, paying €1.92 billion for Yamal LNG in the third quarter alone, with total estimated costs reaching €7.88 billion.
Impact on European energy policy
The latest U.S. proposal deals another blow to European attempts to halt the flow of Russian natural gas, just months before long-awaited bans were set to take full effect. Long-term bans on Russian LNG will not be imposed until 2027, a move agreed upon last year.
