Challenge Europe’s anti-Russian policy! Trump’s envoy proposed “repurchasing Russian gas” but was boycotted by Germany

U.S. President Trump's administration is reportedly considering including the resumption of Russian natural gas shipments to Europe as an economic incentive in the Russia-Ukraine peace agreement, but German officials have strongly opposed it. The New York Times reported on the 17th that Trump’s special envoy proposed the idea during negotiations with Ukrainian and European officials, hoping to use the economic benefits brought by energy exports to prompt Russia to end its war in Ukraine.

The White House stated that the United States is working with Ukraine and European partners to promote a comprehensive peace plan, including providing economic incentives to Russia and Ukraine, with the goal of ending the fighting and creating conditions for lasting peace, economic recovery, and stability in the region.

The New York Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner had raised the idea many times, including during their meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky in Kiev in September. The United States advocates that Ukraine consider restarting the pipeline that used to transport Russian gas to Europe as one of the means to prompt Moscow to end the war.

The United States believes that resuming Russian gas shipments to Europe can bring transit fees to Ukraine and meet Europe's demand for low-price energy. Since Ukraine stopped transshipping Russian gas in January 2025, it has lost approximately US$1 billion in transit fees every year. The EU has promised to completely stop importing Russian gas by 2027; the proportion of Russian gas in the EU's natural gas imports has dropped from 45% in 2021 to 13% in 2025.

Some European and Ukrainian officials expect that the United States may seek to participate in the Russian gas export business and allow American companies or the government to share the profits. People familiar with the matter also revealed that Trump’s special envoy regarded restarting the undersea gas pipeline after reaching a peace agreement as an arrangement that may be easier to implement. Nord Stream 2 from Russia to Germany has also appeared in discussions between the United States and Russia, but the White House stated that the pipeline is not a topic of recent discussion and that any relevant arrangements must be coordinated with European partners.

Germany worries about further restrictions on Moscow's energy supplies

Two people familiar with the matter pointed out that the US special envoy once again proposed the idea during consultations with Ukraine in Florida last week, and Günter Sautter, the chief security adviser to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, strongly opposed it on the spot.

European officials familiar with Germany's position said that Germany believes that even if it purchases Russian gas through middlemen, it still cannot eliminate energy security risks, and Europe may once again face the threat of Moscow cutting off supplies.

Former German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said in an interview that Europe, especially Germany, should not rely on Gazprom again because Russia has proven that supply is not reliable. He also emphasized that Europe must control the ownership and operation of its own energy infrastructure in the future, and cannot ignore the issue of energy security just because American middlemen are involved.