US and Russia Discuss Investment in Nord Stream Pipelines

Senior US and Russian officials have discussed bringing a US investor into the Nord Stream pipeline system, according to five people familiar with the talks, but the discussions have not produced an agreement to restart Russian gas deliveries to Europe. The pipelines remain under US and European sanctions, and Germany says reopening them is not desired and would require government approval. The reported discussions involved US special envoy Jared Kushner and Kirill Dmitriev, a close adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Two people familiar with the matter said Nord Stream remained on the agenda, although it was unclear whether the issue was discussed during Kushner and Dmitriev’s recent meetings in Moscow and New York. A White House official said there had been no recent discussions specifically about Nord Stream. The official said any Russia-related deals would need to be negotiated with the US International Development Finance Corporation and the Treasury Department, and would have to benefit US taxpayers and companies. A US official assessed that a Nord Stream deal was unlikely in the medium term given the obstacles.