European gas just posted a monthly gain of roughly 40%, with benchmark futures above 100 euros per megawatt-hour on Oct. 30, Bloomberg reported. Washington now has an idea for the bill: turn Russian gas back on. The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that the US is backing a rapid restart of Russian gas Europe sales through pipelines that cross Ukraine, and it wants that done before the cold sets in. Reuters relayed the report without being able to verify it independently.
What the Wall Street Journal reports on Russian gas exports
The pitch is an energy ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv before winter. The thinking is simple: give Vladimir Putin a financial reason to stop hitting energy infrastructure. The report cites US, European and Ukrainian officials.
Here is the part worth reading twice. The Journal says the plan would sell the gas through American intermediaries, which would sidestep European sanctions on Russia. Participants reportedly see room for significant profits for US investors. The pitch isn’t only about peace. It’s also about who gets paid.
The Journal says US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff floated the idea during September visits to Moscow and Kyiv. That fits the wider fight over fuel, which we covered when a row over diesel threatened Kyiv’s lifelines.
Why Europe is pushing back on gas sales to Europe
Europe isn’t buying it, at least not yet. The Journal says the idea faces resistance in European capitals. Just days ago, on Oct. 28, the European Commission said the Nord Stream pipeline won’t bring Russian gas into Europe after the war.
The EU says it is phasing out Russian gas and LNG no matter what happens, with pipeline contracts ending by September 2027. Russia’s share of EU pipeline gas has already fallen from about 40% in 2021 to about 6% in 2025.
Earlier Reuters reporting put Germany, Poland and the Baltic states in the skeptical column. Poland and the Baltics reject energy ties with Russia outright. Germany’s government has said any reopening would need its approval. The Journal reportedly says the Trump administration is betting that resistance is softer than it looks.
European heating bills just jumped 40% in a month
That is why the timing matters. Europe is paying through the nose, and the monthly jump is the biggest since March, right after the Iran war began.
Americans feel Europe’s energy bill in indirect ways. Think higher costs for European-made goods, jumpier markets and an energy picture tied to the same Iran conflict that’s already keeping fuel prices in the headlines. A deal that cools European gas could ease some of that. A deal that splits Washington from its allies could create a different set of problems. Moscow’s fuel sales are already a live issue, as the Russian diesel deal between Trump and Putin showed.
There’s also a sanctions problem. Nord Stream is under US and EU sanctions, so a restart of Russian pipeline gas would currently be illegal. A White House official told Reuters in October that any deals must benefit American taxpayers and companies.
What to watch next
Start with the reactions. The White House, the Kremlin, Kyiv, Brussels and Berlin haven’t publicly answered the report. Then watch gas prices when European markets open. And keep an eye on that “before winter” clock, because no firm date has been given.
The war itself will shape the outcome. Ukraine keeps striking Russian energy sites, as in the drone raid on a St. Petersburg oil terminal. That makes any energy ceasefire, and any restart of Russian gas Europe flows, harder to sell.
The next test comes when Brussels and Berlin respond on the record. A push is not a pipeline, and until they answer, this stays a proposal.
