The idea of pumping Russian gas to Europe again through what is left of Nord Stream is part of the US-Russia conversation, the Financial Times reported on Oct. 27, citing people familiar with the talks. The FT is the third outlet this month to describe such discussions. A Nord Stream restart would have to clear a German government that says no, an EU ban on Nord Stream transactions, US sanctions law and a criminal trial still under way.
Where it stands: Nothing had been agreed by October 28. Speaking to the FT, a US official made any economic arrangement part of a broader peace framework and added that “nothing is finalised.” Earlier this month, Reuters quoted a White House official as saying there had been “no Nord Stream discussions recently.” Germany’s government says starting Nord Stream 2 is “not on the agenda.”
The FT wrote that “Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov did not respond to a request for comment” and that Dmitriev’s spokesperson declined to comment. Germany’s economy and energy ministry said in response to Reuters’ questions that both the pipeline and Russian gas fall under European sanctions, and that Berlin has lined up other suppliers.
What has been reported about a Nord Stream restart?
Several overlapping accounts over two years, with the responses on record listed below. The FT’s version is brief: the two governments discussed “resuming gas supplies to Europe through what remains of the Nord Stream pipelines, all but one of which were destroyed in a 2022 bombing.”
| Reported | What was reported | Response on record |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 2024, Washington Post | US investor Stephen Lynch sought to buy Nord Stream 2’s operator | His firm said he follows US law |
| 2025, Politico | Talk of lifting Nord Stream 2 sanctions | Rubio: “unequivocally false” |
| Oct. 8, 2026, Reuters | A US investor for Nord Stream discussed | White House: no recent talks |
| Oct. 22, 2026, The Economist | US proposed reviving Nord Stream | None found |
| Oct. 27, 2026, FT | Gas via what remains of Nord Stream | US official: “nothing is finalised” |
Reuters’ Oct. 8 story, as relayed by OilPrice.com, said the discussions involved finding “a U.S. investor for the Nord Stream pipeline” and arranging Russian gas sales to Europe, and tied them to meetings between Jared Kushner and Kirill Dmitriev. The Kyiv Post, summarizing The Economist, stressed that these “remain reported negotiating proposals, rather than an agreed settlement,” and that access to Europe’s energy market “cannot be guaranteed by Washington.”
The idea predates the current talks. In 2025 the FT reported, via the Ukrainian outlet Babel, that former Nord Stream 2 chief Matthias Warnig was working on a restart backed by US investors; Warnig told the FT he “did not participate in any discussions with any American politicians or business representatives.” When Politico reported that year that lifting Nord Stream 2 sanctions was under discussion, Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it “unequivocally false.”
What is left of Nord Stream after the 2022 explosions?
One pipe out of four. Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 each have two strings under the Baltic Sea. The September 2022 blasts “destroyed one of the two pipes of Nord Stream 2 and both branches” of Nord Stream 1, AFP reported.
Nord Stream 1 had been Russia’s main gas route to Germany until Moscow cut supplies in August 2022. Nord Stream 2, a project Reuters put at $11 billion and completed in 2021, never entered service: Germany suspended its certification shortly before the invasion. So the surviving string has never carried commercial gas.
Who is on trial over the Nord Stream blasts?
A former Ukrainian army officer, and the case is unresolved. Serhii Kuznietsov went on trial on Oct. 14 at the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court in Hamburg. According to AP, the charges cover setting off an explosion, property damage, disruption of a public service and acting as an “accomplice to war crimes” through an attack on civilian infrastructure.
He contests the case. Kuznietsov says he was serving in Ukraine’s armed forces and was in Ukraine at the time, which his lawyers argue gives him “functional immunity” under international law. After Italy approved his extradition, his lawyer Nicola Canestrini said: “However great the disappointment, I remain confident in an acquittal after the full trial in Germany.”
No court has decided who carried out the attack. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denied his country was involved. Russia has blamed US and British intelligence and NATO. The German government has declined to comment, noting that no verdict has been reached and the case is with an independent court.
Can Germany and the EU block a Nord Stream restart?
Both have already acted against one. In May 2025, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said: “We will do everything in this context to ensure that Nord Stream 2 cannot be put back into operation.” In an October 2026 written answer, Berlin said putting the pipeline into operation is not on its agenda and that “the certification procedure for Nord Stream 2 remains suspended.”
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At EU level, the 18th sanctions package in July 2025 introduced a ban on transactions related to the Nord Stream pipelines, including supplying goods or services, which European Pravda said effectively ended any future use of the infrastructure. In January 2026, EU states gave final approval to a phased ban on Russian gas imports. Long-term pipeline contracts must stop on Sept. 30, 2027, with a possible delay to Nov. 1, the Kyiv Post reported. Companies that break the rules face fines of at least 40 million euros.
Our report on Europe’s objections to the US-Russia deals covers why EU governments say these decisions are theirs to make.
What US law applies to a Nord Stream restart?
Sanctions law that Congress wrote with Russian pipelines in mind. Section 232 of CAATSA, the 2017 law that covers sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea, says the President, “in coordination with allies of the United States, may impose five or more of the sanctions” on people who invest in or supply Russia’s energy export pipelines. Covered support includes anything that could significantly help “the maintenance or expansion of the construction, modernization, or repair” of those pipelines.
The provision is discretionary, so any administration decides whether to use it. What lawmakers can and cannot stop is covered in our CAATSA review piece. When an American investor, Stephen Lynch, sought Treasury approval in 2024 to bid for Nord Stream 2’s operating company, a US official told the Washington Post: “There is nothing about a Nord Stream 2 revival that is in U.S. interests right now.” Lynch’s firm said he was “following American laws.”
The FT also noted that Washington has spent years urging Europe to cut its reliance on Russian energy. For now, the Hamburg court has set 16 hearing dates through Dec. 17, with more planned for January and February 2027.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nord Stream being restarted?
No restart had been agreed as of October 28. The FT, Reuters and The Economist have reported that a revival was discussed in US-Russia talks. Reuters quoted a White House official denying any recent Nord Stream discussions, and Germany says putting Nord Stream 2 into operation is not on its agenda.
How many Nord Stream pipelines are still intact?
One. The September 2022 explosions damaged both Nord Stream 1 lines and one of the two Nord Stream 2 lines, leaving a single Nord Stream 2 string undamaged. Nord Stream 2 never carried commercial gas.
Who blew up Nord Stream?
No court has ruled. German prosecutors have charged a former Ukrainian officer, Serhii Kuznietsov, whose trial opened in Hamburg in October 2026. His defence argues he has functional immunity. Ukraine denies involvement, and Russia blames US and British intelligence.
Can the EU block Russian gas through Nord Stream?
The EU banned transactions related to the Nord Stream pipelines in its 18th sanctions package in July 2025, and in January 2026 approved a phased ban on Russian gas imports. Long-term pipeline contracts must end by Sept. 30, 2027, or Nov. 1, 2027 at the latest.
Sources
- Washington discusses Russian deals for US oil majors in Ukraine peace talks — Financial Times, October 27, 2026
- Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (Public Law 115-44) — U.S. Government Publishing Office (govinfo.gov), August 2, 2017
- U.S. and Russia Discuss Reviving Russian Gas Sales to Europe — OilPrice.com (reporting Reuters), October 8, 2026
- US Reportedly Proposes Nord Stream Revival in Ukraine Peace Talks — Kyiv Post (reporting The Economist), October 23, 2026
- American businessman makes play for Russian natural gas pipelines — The Washington Post (via The Spokesman-Review), November 22, 2024
- Warnig plans to restart Nord Stream 2 — the US sees this as an asset for negotiations with Russia — Babel (reporting the Financial Times), 2025
- State Department denies White House discussion on lifting Nord Stream 2 sanctions — Espreso Global (reporting Politico), 2025
- Former Ukrainian officer goes on trial in Germany over gas pipeline blasts — Associated Press (via Anchorage Daily News), October 14, 2026
- Italy to extradite Ukrainian Nord Stream sabotage suspect to Germany — Al Jazeera, November 20, 2025
- Merz says Germany will ‘do everything’ to prevent Nord Stream restart — AFP (via Arab News), May 28, 2025
- Berlin outlines future strategy for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline — RBC-Ukraine, October 2026
- Details of EU’s 18th sanctions package against Russia revealed — European Pravda, July 18, 2025
- EU states approve ban on Russian gas imports, Hungary and Slovakia oppose — oEnergetice.cz (ČTK), January 26, 2026
- Nord Stream 2 AG Receives Extension for Debt Restructuring Deadline — Reuters (via Pipeline & Gas Journal), January 2025
This article is news reporting and analysis based on the public sources listed above, as they stood on the dates shown. Where officials, lawmakers or analysts disagree, including on whether an action is lawful, their positions are attributed to them; Donald Trump Class Action is not a court and nothing here is legal advice. Facts in a developing story can change.