Washington Post weighs possible return of Russian energy to Europe amid Ukraine peace deal
United States negotiators are discussing a new plan to end the war in Ukraine which envisages both a cessation of hostilities and a large-scale economic agreement amongst Russia, Ukraine and Europe. One possible element is resuming Russian oil and gas deliveries to the European market with revenues from transit split between Kyiv and Moscow.
The Washington Post columnist David Ignatius reports, referring to a United States official familiar with the progress of the talks.
According to the newspaper, the new initiative was cleared on 9 October during a six-hour meeting in Florida, arranged by President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Ukrainian officials took part alongside representatives of Great Britain, France and Germany.
The American side is trying to broaden the agenda by offering both countries economic and security benefits after the war ends. The idea is to make politically difficult territorial compromises more acceptable.
Russia may be offered a return to the EU energy market
One of the key economic enticements is the restoration of Russia’s long-term access to the European energy market.
According to the United States official, the prospective deal may involve creating or using a pipeline route for Russian energy supplies to Europe. Revenues from such a project could be split between Ukraine and Russia.
Washington assumes an agreement would help lower energy costs for European consumers and at the same time create a financial incentive for the two sides to stop the fighting.
Another component will be working out how and when the current economic sanctions on Moscow would be lifted.
Such an approach runs counter to the European Union’s current policy of ditching Russian energy.
On 26 January 2026 the Council of the EU saw an adopted regulation for phasing out Russian gas imports. Under the document the complete ban of Russian liquefied gas should be effective in early 2027 and pipeline gas by autumn the same year.
Therefore making the deal offered by the United States possible was seen needing not just an agreement between Ukraine and Russia, but giving up on existing European restrictions. There is currently nothing to prove EU states eager to take such a step.
The talks between United States and Russian officials on involving Americans as potential investors in the Nord Stream pipelines had been on public record. However the new initiative outlined by The Washington Post is seen broader in scope and would have energy cooperation as part of an overall settlement.
Plan floats security guarantees and a territorial arrangement
The Washington Post describes United States negotiators discussing a broad four-pillar architecture: postwar reconstruction packages for Ukraine, security guarantees, an economic track with Russia and ceasefire arrangements along a future de facto border of control.
Ukraine representatives have been walked through what territory arrangements might look like and could receive United States and European security assumptions, one analyst described a comparable with NATO’s Article 5. This implies a commitment by the three guaranteeing states to prevent any re-invasion of unoccupied territory.
Russia and European states are to strike separate security arrangement of their own.
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