Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff pitched a controversial idea in September: send Russian gas to Europe again. But this time, through Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal reported that US officials are exploring a proposal to use the Soviet-era pipeline system connecting Siberia’s Urengoi gas fields to European markets. A US intermediary would handle the sales, potentially bypassing existing sanctions while giving American investors a cut of the proceeds. The goal? An energy truce with Vladimir Putin before winter hits.
The logistics are stark. Before 2022, Russian gas accounted for 45% of Europe’s supply. That figure has plummeted to 11%, with US liquefied natural gas now making up 30% of consumption. Yet Europe is entering winter with low reserves. Washington argues that re-opening this lucrative market gives Putin a concrete financial reason to accept a ceasefire. For Kyiv, the deal offers transit fees—cash it desperately needs.
The friction is immediate. EU legislation requires member states to phase out all Russian natural gas purchases by the end of 2027. EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen was blunt in an October interview. “I certainly would not trust Russia. Even if there were peace tomorrow, which we all hope for,” he said. A senior official from a large European country went further, comparing the proposal to Neville Chamberlain sacrificing Czechoslovakia to Hitler for business deals.
The pause in hostilities that gave this idea momentum has already collapsed. Ukraine launched attacks on three major Russian refineries over three days starting Friday. This renewed aggression has revived the urgency for an energy deal. The White House is even discussing safeguards to keep Russia from using the revenue to fund its war, with proceeds potentially held in an escrow account in a third-party jurisdiction.
The next test comes in mid-November. Three-way talks between the US, Russia, and Ukraine are planned for Abu Dhabi. Moscow has resisted the arrangement so far, but the deadline for European energy security is ticking down. Whether the US can override Europe's 2027 phase-out mandates to save the continent from a cold, expensive winter is now the central diplomatic question.