The Donald Trump administration is considering a plan for the return of Russian gas to the European market; a plan that could lead to the reactivation of gas pipelines from Ukraine to the European Union.
Details of Trump's Plan
According to reports, this proposal is part of a broader strategy to achieve a peace agreement with Moscow. U.S. representatives have suggested to European countries to increase their purchases of gas from Russia, and Ukraine is also considering the possibility of reopening the pipelines that were previously used to transport Russian gas to the European Union.
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Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, representatives of Donald Trump, raised this proposal in discussions with European and Ukrainian officials, including Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, during their visit to Kyiv in September.
Gas Market Developments
Before the escalation of the Ukraine war in 2022, Russia supplied about 45% of the European Union's gas imports. Despite Western sanctions and damage to gas transportation infrastructure, Russia's share of gas imports to the EU has significantly decreased. However, last year, EU member countries still purchased about 36 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia.
The transit of Russian gas through Ukrainian territory was halted in January 2025, and Brussels is seeking to reduce energy dependence on Russia. The EU intends to ban imports of Russian liquefied natural gas starting January 2027 and imports through pipelines by September of the same year.
Suspension of Sanctions and New Agreement
Alongside these developments, Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, announced that Trump has considered a 60-day period to assess the economic impacts of sanctions and tariffs related to Russia. This decision comes as only a few weeks remain until the U.S. midterm elections, and pressures on the Trump administration are increasing due to rising energy prices.
In another development, Trump announced an agreement to increase the supply of Russian diesel to global markets. This agreement has been made to alleviate pressure from rising fuel prices following the war with Iran and disruptions in energy supply.
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