Officials from Washington and Moscow have held talks about US help to resume Russian gas sales to Europe, eight sources familiar with the talks told "Reuters".
Europe has sharply reduced imports of Russian gas since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Sources close to the bilateral talks said that restoring Moscow's role in the European Union's gas market could help cement a peace deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
While much of Europe is looking for alternative supplies, some buyers of Russian gas have remained, and industry officials believe there could be more customers for Russian gas once a peace deal is reached, Reuters reported.
As for Russia, nothing has hit its economy harder than losing most of the European gas market three years ago, the publication said. It now meets 19% of Europe's demand, compared with 40%, mostly from liquefied natural gas and pipeline gas coming through Turkey via the "Turkish Stream" pipeline.
"Gazprom" would consider selling gas to Europe if a new owner takes control of the gas network between Russia and Europe, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told French magazine Le Point in April.
On the route across the Baltic Sea, "Gazprom" controls the twin pipelines "Nord Stream 1" and "2", backed by European companies that have stakes.
Moscow is ready to trade its gas and knows that some European countries still want to buy it, Peskov said in an interview with Le Point. "There is a seller of gas, there are potential buyers," Peskov told reporters in April.
Countries still buying include Hungary and Slovakia, which receive gas via the "Turkish Stream" pipeline. Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Spain receive liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia"s "Novatek" on long-term contracts.
As for how the Americans might get involved, five sources said the talks so far have discussed American investors taking stakes in the Nord Stream pipeline linking Russia and Germany, or in the pipeline crossing Ukraine, or in Gazprom itself.
American companies could also serve as buyers, buying gas from Gazprom and shipping it to Europe, including Germany, the sources said. Two of the sources said diplomatic talks involving potential American investors have also explored the idea of an American buyer taking Russian gas and then exporting it to Europe as a way to ease European political opposition to resuming supplies.