Report: Trump is pushing to restore Russian gas sales to Europe through Ukrainian pipelines as EU phaseout looms

A proposed energy ceasefire

White House officials are pursuing an energy ceasefire before winter, ahead of three-way negotiations scheduled for mid-November in Abu Dhabi. The reported plan would route Russian gas to Europe through Ukrainian pipelines, with a US intermediary handling sales to avoid EU sanctions.

Washington had put the proposal aside after Kyiv paused strikes on Russian refineries under pressure from Trump. Ukraine resumed attacks on Russian energy targets after Moscow continued strikes on its energy infrastructure.

Transit fees and Russian incentives

White House negotiators see access to the European gas market as a possible reason for Vladimir Putin to halt attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. Ukraine could also collect substantial fees for transporting gas through its older pipelines, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Russian liquefied natural gas is already reaching Europe and supporting Russia’s economy, as legislation to ban imports has been delayed. The EU has legislated to end purchases of Russian natural gas by the end of 2027.

EU imports and pending restrictions

The EU brought in a record 12.18 million tonnes of Russian Arctic LNG during the first nine months of 2026, according to Urgewald’s analysis of Kpler data. In the third quarter alone, the bloc paid €1.92 billion (£1.6bn) for LNG from Russia’s Yamal project.

The estimated bill for Yamal LNG over the first nine months reached as much as €7.88bn (£6.6bn). A nine-month gap for short-term contracts between two dates means existing agreements remain valid, so the measures have not yet affected Yamal LNG flows to Europe.

The proposal could undermine European efforts to curb Russian gas revenues shortly before the planned bans take effect. Last winter, Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure left millions without electricity and heating as temperatures dropped below zero.