The United States is said to support the swift resumption of Russian gas supplies to Europe through Ukrainian pipelines, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing U.S., European, and Ukrainian officials.
The proposal advanced by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner involves utilizing an American intermediary and an escrow account to bypass European sanctions, the newspaper said.
Washington also attempted to present this idea to European leaders as a method to reduce hydrocarbon prices amid record low European gas inventories ahead of winter.
The White House proposed storing the funds from the sale of Russian gas under this proposal in an escrow account under the jurisdiction of a third party, the news outlet noted.
Washington is also said to consider the resumption of the Nord Stream pipeline's operation as a potentially important component of a larger deal, which would not only lead to a resolution of the Ukrainian crisis but also settle Russia's long-standing disagreements with the European allies of the U.S., WSJ added.
The EU as a whole is entering the winter with gas reserves well below historic norms, with stores across the bloc just below 75% full. But the new rules require the EU member states to fill storage facilities to 80% of capacity.
