US envoys reportedly pitched Europe a return to Russian gas

United States envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner proposed that Europe buy more Russian gas again as part of a Ukraine peace plan, the New York Times reported, in an account relayed by Finland's Yle on Sunday.

Why it matters: The proposal runs against the European Union's staged phase-out of Russian gas and follows Washington's waiver of the Graham Act sanctions, so the administration's Russia energy policy now points toward restored trade rather than added pressure.

Data as of Sunday, October 18, 2026, 08:45 ET. Developing item, single sourced: the Yle report, in Finnish and read in full in translation, relays a New York Times report based on unnamed sources. No United States or European official has confirmed the proposal on the record in the reporting opened, and the European reaction is reported, not documented.

United States envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner proposed that Europe increase its purchases of Russian gas as part of a Ukraine peace plan, according to a New York Times report relayed by Yle, the Finnish public broadcaster, on Sunday. The administration’s reasoning, as reported, is that gas trade would give Russia an economic incentive to end the war, and that transit through Ukraine’s pipeline network could also bring revenue to Kyiv.

European officials reacted dismissively to the proposal, Yle reported. The European Union has decided to phase out imports of Russian gas completely in stages, and critics quoted in the report said that economic benefits offered to Russia could weaken pressure on Moscow to end the war and could affect Europe’s energy security.

US envoys reportedly pitched Europe a return to Russian gas

Sources