Media: U.S. wants resumption of Russian gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine

The United States favors an early resumption of Russian gas supplies to Europe through pipelines transiting Ukrainian territory.

This claim was made by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing U.S., European, and Ukrainian officials.

As the newspaper writes, the idea was put forward by the U.S. president's special envoy Steve Witkoff and the U.S. president's son-in-law Jared Kushner during their trips to Moscow and Kyiv in September, and it provides for the sale of Russian gas through an American intermediary in order to circumvent European sanctions.

According to the WSJ, Washington also sought to present this idea to European leaders as a way to lower hydrocarbon prices amid record-low gas reserves in Europe ahead of winter.

At the same time, the publication writes, the White House proposed keeping the proceeds from the sale of Russian gas under this proposal in an escrow account under the jurisdiction of a third party.

The newspaper also claims that Washington views the resumption of the Nord Stream pipeline's operation as a "potentially important component of a larger deal" that would not only lead to a resolution of the Ukrainian crisis but would also settle "Russia's long-standing differences with Washington's European allies."

Source: TASS