Former U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly seeking to negotiate a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to restart the Nord Stream gas pipelines after the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine comes to an end. Jared Kushner, Trump’s special envoy and son-in-law, has been engaged in discussions with Russian officials about potential American investment in the pipeline project, which could facilitate renewed energy supplies from Russia to Europe.
The Nord Stream pipelines, which run beneath the Baltic Sea connecting Russia to Germany, were a major source of natural gas for Europe prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. At that time, Germany sourced over half of its gas from Russia via these pipelines. However, following the conflict’s outbreak, Russia curtailed gas deliveries to Europe, and the pipelines were subsequently damaged in underwater explosions in September 2022, leading to their operational suspension.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Kushner has met with Kirill Dmitriev, a close adviser to President Putin, in both New York and Moscow in recent weeks to discuss the possibility of resuming Nord Stream operations. Dmitriev has previously advocated for restarting Russian gas exports to Germany and held talks last month with representatives from the U.S. Energy Department and Treasury on energy cooperation. A representative for Dmitriev declined to comment on these discussions.
Despite these talks, U.S. officials emphasize that any agreement would require formal negotiations involving the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation and the Treasury Department, ensuring benefits for American taxpayers and companies. However, one official noted that there have been no recent discussions specifically about Nord Stream, and suggested that the likelihood of a near-term deal is low due to significant political and legal barriers. Restarting Nord Stream flows would contravene existing U.S. and European Union sanctions against the pipeline, which were imposed in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
The potential deal faces considerable opposition from European governments. Germany, Europe’s largest energy consumer and a key military supporter of Ukraine, has sought alternatives to Russian gas and insists that any reopening of the Nord Stream pipelines would require governmental approval. A spokesman for Germany’s economy and energy ministry highlighted the country’s efforts to diversify energy sources since the conflict began. German officials have accused Russia of hybrid attacks targeting German infrastructure, further straining bilateral relations.
Critics in Germany warn that a resumption of Nord Stream gas deliveries could be detrimental to European security and economic interests. Michael Kellner, who previously oversaw German energy policy, described the proposed arrangement as a "dirty deal" likely to disproportionately benefit Russia and the United States at Europe’s expense. Nonetheless, the right-wing Alternative for Germany party supports reopening the pipeline and is scheduled to meet with Dmitriev early next year to discuss Russian gas sales.
Adding complexity to the issue, German authorities have charged a former Ukrainian army officer, Serhii Kuznietsov, with war crimes linked to the sabotaging of the Nord Stream pipelines. Prosecutors allege that Kuznietsov was involved in the underwater explosions that caused significant damage to the infrastructure and was acting on behalf of the Ukrainian government. The charges include complicity in war crimes, disruption of public services, and destruction of structures.
These developments come amid ongoing hostilities in Ukraine, highlighted by a recent Russian glide-bomb attack in Kramatorsk that killed 33 civilians, underscoring the challenges to restoring peace and normal economic relations in the region.