The U.S. is exploring options to cooperate with Gazprom on global projects, potentially paving the way for closer ties with Russia and a peace deal on Ukraine, Bloomberg writes, citing Russian and European official sources.
“The talks are at an early stage but could include cooperation on energy projects in Europe and Asia,” the report said.
European experts estimate that there have been “preliminary contacts between US and Russian representatives on the issue, but … it is unclear who is leading the talks and whether the administration of (US President Donald) Trump is directly involved,” the agency notes.
It recalls that on Thursday Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke about possible cooperation between the US and Russia in the energy sector, which could pave the way for restoring supplies to Europe. Trump also spoke about the interest in cooperation.
Some sources said U.S.-Gazprom energy initiatives could span Europe and Asia and “could fit with a broader U.S. desire to weaken Russia’s ties to China and Iran,” which would also fit with Trump’s desire to capitalize on business opportunities that could arise from a peace deal to end the conflict in Ukraine.
Sources told Bloomberg that Gazprom, for its part, is interested in getting the U.S. to help restart the Nord Stream pipeline, which was halted after a sabotage attack in 2022.