Kushner Held Backchannel Talks With Russia About Reviving Nord Stream

Overview

• Reports on Friday said Jared Kushner met Kirill Dmitrijew in New York and Moscow to explore a U.S. investor role and commercial mechanisms to restart the Nord Stream pipelines.
• The White House declined to confirm talks but said any deal would need negotiation with Russian financial authorities and must provide clear benefits to U.S. taxpayers and companies.
• Multiple articles note the pipelines were shut after Russia's 2022 invasion and largely destroyed by September 2022 explosions, creating major technical and legal barriers to reactivation.
• U.S. and EU sanctions targeting Nord Stream and related Russian energy assets, together with German permit and certification rules for the Lubmin terminal, mean a restart would need major policy changes in Washington and Brussels.
• German officials and many European politicians oppose reopening the route, and analysts warn that even limited commercial steps could deepen political rifts and complicate support for Ukraine while changing energy flows in Europe.