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Senior US and Russian officials have discussed bringing an American investor into the Nord Stream pipeline projects, Reuters reported, citing sources. The White House said US authorities would have to approve any deal and that no recent discussions on Nord Stream had taken place; a source told Reuters an agreement is unlikely in the medium term.
Senior US and Russian officials have discussed bringing an American investor into the Nord Stream pipeline projects, Reuters reported, citing sources, in talks that could relate to renewed Russian gas sales to Europe after the war in Ukraine. The White House said US authorities would need to approve any such agreement and that no Nord Stream discussions had taken place recently; a source told Reuters a deal is unlikely in the medium term.
The officials involved include Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special representative for investment and economic cooperation and head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, and Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law. Both are also involved in talks aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine. Reuters reported that Dmitriev and Kushner met in Moscow and New York in recent weeks, but sources did not establish how much they discussed Nord Stream at those meetings.
A source told Reuters the pipeline issue remains on the agenda, while another said the sides are unlikely to reach a deal in the medium term. The White House said any proposed arrangement would require US government approval and said there had been no recent discussions about Nord Stream. The accounts leave open whether earlier conversations took place and what form an American investment might take.
Reuters reported that Dmitriev supports restarting Russian gas sales to Germany. In September, he met representatives of the US Department of Energy and Treasury Department and discussed possible US-Russian energy initiatives. Reuters also reported that Kushner sees business cooperation as a factor in efforts to secure a peace agreement. These accounts describe the views and discussions of the people involved, not an agreed policy or a completed deal.
A Potential Return to Europe’s Gas Market
Any arrangement involving Nord Stream could affect Europe’s energy supply and the future of sanctions imposed after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Germany is Europe’s largest energy consumer and, before the invasion, received most of its gas from Russia through Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2. Renewed flows would be a major change from the post-invasion break in supply, but the reported talks do not establish that gas sales will resume.
The possibility also carries diplomatic and political weight. A US investor’s involvement could give American interests a role in any future pipeline operation, while the reported connection between energy cooperation and Ukraine peace discussions suggests commercial questions may be raised alongside diplomacy. That is not evidence that energy investment has been agreed as part of a peace deal. Any proposal would face US approval requirements and opposition expected from Germany and other European countries, according to the report.
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Nord Stream After the Invasion
Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 were built to carry Russian gas under the Baltic Sea to Germany. Gas flows stopped after Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the pipelines came under EU and US sanctions. The report does not say that either pipeline is currently operating or that sanctions have been lifted.
The discussion comes as officials involved in US-Russia contacts are also engaged in efforts related to ending the war. Dmitriev’s September meetings with US energy and Treasury representatives concerned potential energy initiatives, Reuters reported, but the available information does not specify which projects were discussed or whether the meetings produced proposals. The Nord Stream conversations are reported as a possibility under discussion, not an announced plan.
“U.S. authorities would need to approve any such deal.”
— The White House, as reported by Reuters
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No Deal or Restart Confirmed
No investment agreement, pipeline reopening, or return of Russian gas deliveries has been announced. The report does not specify which Nord Stream project or assets an American investor might take part in, what role that investor would have, or whether the discussion has advanced beyond preliminary conversations. It is also unclear how extensively Dmitriev and Kushner discussed the pipelines during their recent meetings.
The White House’s statement that no Nord Stream discussions took place recently does not clarify whether earlier talks occurred or whether any government-to-government negotiations are underway. The level of interest in Washington in restoring Russian gas supplies to Germany is also unclear. Reuters reported that Germany and other European countries are expected to oppose renewed operations as they prepare for Russian hybrid attacks and a possible invasion; it did not cite a specific government decision on a proposed deal.
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Approvals and European Opposition
Any concrete proposal involving American investment would need to be submitted to relevant US authorities for approval, according to the White House. Further information would be needed to establish whether the talks continue, what assets or commercial terms are under consideration, and how sanctions would affect a potential arrangement.
The next indications may come from statements by the US and Russian governments, details of any later meetings, or responses from Germany and other European governments. For now, the reported discussion remains a possible avenue for energy cooperation, while the timeline, regulatory path, European response, and prospect of renewed gas flows are unresolved.
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Key Questions
Have the United States and Russia agreed to reopen Nord Stream?
No agreement has been reported. Reuters sources said officials discussed bringing in an American investor, but the report does not say that a deal or pipeline restart has been approved.
Which officials were involved in the reported talks?
Reuters identified Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian presidential representative and head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law. Both are also involved in talks aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.
What did the White House say?
The White House said US authorities would have to approve any deal and that no Nord Stream discussions had taken place recently. It did not rule out that earlier conversations may have occurred.
Why would a Nord Stream deal matter to Germany?
Germany is Europe’s largest energy consumer and, before the invasion of Ukraine, received most of its gas from Russia through Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2. The pipelines’ flows stopped after the invasion, and they came under EU and US sanctions.
When could a deal happen?
The report gives no timetable. One source cited by Reuters said an agreement is unlikely in the medium term, and any proposal would require US approval.
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