Trump envoy's proposal to resume Russian gas imports shocks Europe

The Trump administration has proposed resuming European purchases of Russian natural gas as a way to break the deadlock in Ukraine peace negotiations, The New York Times reported Saturday (local time).

White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, raised the idea at a meeting held earlier this month in Miami, Florida, with officials from Ukraine and major European countries, suggesting that European purchases of Russian gas could be included in a peace agreement, according to the report.

Witkoff and Kushner also floated the proposal when they met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv last month.

European delegates at the Miami meeting were stunned by the American proposal, the Times reported.

Since Russia launched its war against Ukraine, EU member states — with US backing — have spent years working to reduce their dependence on Russian gas, and the American proposal would undo that effort.

The Times described it as "a proposal that would reverse years of American energy policy," adding that it "could provide an economic windfall for Moscow while at the same time reviving Russia's leverage over Europe."

The newspaper said the proposal "could complicate the Trump administration's efforts to end the war, given the strong opposition among European and Ukrainian leaders to becoming dependent again on Russian gas."

In a statement sent to the Times, the White House said the war "has driven up energy prices across Europe and created significant economic hardship for both Russia and Ukraine."

It added that "the United States has been working closely with Ukraine and our European partners on a comprehensive peace plan that includes economic incentives for both Russia and Ukraine as part of a final agreement," and that "our goal is not simply to end the fighting, but to create the conditions for lasting peace, economic recovery and stability across the region."

The Trump administration's view is that if Europe resumes importing Russian gas through pipelines crossing Ukraine, Kyiv would regain transit fee revenue while European consumers would benefit from lower energy prices — something voters across the continent have been demanding.

Should Russia resume gas exports, the US is expected to seek an equity stake in the process, allowing American companies or the government to take a share of the proceeds.

The Trump administration has also reportedly proposed releasing some frozen Russian assets as part of a peace deal.

The Financial Times earlier reported that Witkoff and Kushner proposed at the Miami meeting to unfreeze some Russian government assets and transfer them to a special-purpose vehicle overseen by the US government.

European and Ukrainian delegates were deeply shocked by the American proposals, the Financial Times said, with growing doubts about US sincerity and whether Washington's approach to pressuring Russia to halt its invasion has diverged starkly from that of its European allies.

Resuming Russian gas exports also aligns with Moscow's interests. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, responding to questions about gas negotiations, told the Times: "Resuming energy cooperation in any form is in our interest, and right now it may actually be in Europe's own interest as well."

The Trump administration has already been dialing back pressure on Russia through sanctions.

On Thursday, Donald Trump announced a "diesel deal" to work with Russian President Vladimir Putin to supply Russian diesel to US and international markets. On Friday he said he would suspend implementation of the Graham Act, which would have imposed additional sanctions on Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed concern in response. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, he wrote that he feared the diesel deal and the Graham Act suspension were "not the end," adding: "The easing of sanctions will continue."

Zelensky said Trump's moves would embolden Putin and further encourage Russian aggression. He also said Russia had attacked more than 15 Ukrainian power generation and transmission facilities on Friday.

By contrast, Kirill Dmitriev, a special envoy of the Russian president, welcomed the sanctions suspension on X, calling it "an important and truly historic moment" and saying "economic dialogue and peacebuilding efforts between the US and Russia will continue."