TL;DR
Get everyday essentials delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Russian and American officials have discussed the possibility of bringing a U.S. investor into the Nord Stream pipeline projects, Reuters reported, citing sources. The White House said any deal would need U.S. government approval and that no recent discussions about Nord Stream had taken place; sources told Reuters an agreement is unlikely in the medium term.
Russian and American officials have discussed bringing a U.S. investor into the Nord Stream pipeline projects, Reuters reported on October 8, citing sources, raising the possibility that Russian gas could again reach European buyers through the system. The White House said any arrangement would require U.S. government approval and that no Nord Stream discussions had taken place recently; a Reuters source said a deal was unlikely in the medium term.
The discussions involved Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special representative for investment and economic cooperation and head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, and Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, according to Reuters’ sources. Both men are also involved in talks aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Dmitriev and Kushner have met in Moscow and New York in recent weeks, Reuters reported. Sources said the Nord Stream topic remains on the agenda, but it is not clear how much the men discussed it at those meetings. Another source described a deal as unlikely in the medium term. The report does not establish that either government has agreed to revive gas deliveries or that a formal proposal is under negotiation.
The White House said U.S. authorities would have to approve any deal and stated that there had been no recent discussions about Nord Stream. Reuters also reported that Dmitriev discussed possible U.S.-Russian energy initiatives with representatives of the U.S. Department of Energy and Treasury in September. The report does not specify whether those meetings included a concrete plan for pipeline operations or sales to Europe.
A Potential Return to European Gas Markets
A U.S. role in Nord Stream could alter the commercial and political stakes around any return of Russian gas to Europe. Reuters reported that a deal could allow American participants to profit from energy supplies to Europe after the war ends. That is a reported rationale, not evidence that Washington has adopted the idea or that European customers would buy the gas.
Germany is Europe’s largest energy consumer, and before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, most of its gas came from Russia through Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2. Resuming those flows would therefore carry substantial implications for energy supply and for European policy toward Moscow. But the pipelines are under EU and U.S. sanctions, and the political opposition expected from Germany and other European countries could constrain any effort to restart them.
The talks also link energy business to diplomacy. Reuters reported that Kushner views business cooperation as a key factor in reaching a peace agreement. That account does not show that a pipeline deal is part of formal peace negotiations, or that it would change the positions of Ukraine, Germany or other European governments.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Nord Stream After Russia’s Invasion
Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 were built to carry Russian gas under the Baltic Sea to Germany. Before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Nord Stream 1 was a major route for Russian supplies to Germany. After the invasion began, gas flows stopped, and the pipelines became subject to European Union and U.S. sanctions.
The reported discussions come as Dmitriev and Kushner have been involved in contacts connected to efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Dmitriev also met U.S. Energy and Treasury Department representatives in September to discuss potential energy initiatives, according to the report. Those contacts provide context for the Nord Stream conversations but do not confirm a government-backed plan to resume shipments.
Any return of Russian gas would face political resistance as well as regulatory hurdles. Reuters reported that Germany and other European countries are preparing for Russian hybrid attacks and a possible invasion, and are expected to oppose restarting Nord Stream. The article does not detail which sanctions or approvals would need to change before gas could flow.
“U.S. authorities would need to approve any such deal, and no discussions about Nord Stream had taken place recently.”
— The White House, as reported by Reuters
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
No Deal or Restart Confirmed
It remains unclear how extensively Dmitriev and Kushner discussed Nord Stream, whether U.S. officials have developed a specific investment proposal, or what a potential deal would involve. The White House’s statement that no recent discussions took place also leaves open how it characterizes the earlier contacts reported by Reuters’ sources.
No agreement, investment commitment, sanctions change or restart date has been announced. The report does not establish that Germany or other European governments support renewed Russian gas deliveries, and it says Washington’s interest in reviving the flow to Germany is unclear. The medium-term outlook described by one source is an assessment, not a formal deadline or official decision.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Government Approval and European Response
Any proposed deal would need U.S. government approval, according to the White House. A practical route to renewed deliveries would also depend on the status of sanctions and the position of European governments, particularly Germany. The report does not identify a scheduled meeting, a public proposal or a timetable for decisions by any of those parties.
Further clarification may come from the officials involved or from the governments whose approval would be needed. Until a proposal is made public and regulatory and political obstacles are addressed, the reported conversations remain exploratory, with no confirmed resumption of Nord Stream gas sales.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
What did U.S. and Russian officials discuss?
Reuters sources said Kirill Dmitriev and Jared Kushner discussed the possibility of bringing in an American investor for the Nord Stream pipeline projects. The extent of their discussions and any proposed terms have not been made public.
Has a deal to restart Nord Stream been reached?
No deal or restart has been announced. A source told Reuters an agreement was unlikely in the medium term, and the White House said any deal would require U.S. approval.
Would Russian gas be flowing to Europe again?
That is a possibility raised by the reported discussions, not a confirmed outcome. Gas flows through Nord Stream stopped after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the pipelines are under EU and U.S. sanctions.
What role would Germany play?
Germany was a major destination for Russian gas carried by Nord Stream before the invasion. Reuters reported that Germany and other European countries are expected to oppose a restart, but no German government decision about this reported proposal was described.
What is the White House’s position?
The White House said U.S. authorities would need to approve any deal and that no Nord Stream discussions had taken place recently. It did not announce support for restarting the pipeline.
Source: rss
Halloween Picks
halloween
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
