Ukraine's foreign minister warns Europe against restoring Russian gas supplies

In brief

• Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha called proposals to restore Russian gas sales to Europe false and dangerous.
• He said Russia uses energy as a weapon and pointed to the 2019 halt and 2021 resumption of Nord Stream 2.
• The warning followed reports that the US floated restoring Russian gas flows, including Nord Stream, within a possible peace deal.

Kyiv warns against return of Russian gas

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has rejected suggestions that European countries should resume buying Russian gas. He made the statement on X on October 24, 2026, and called such a move a false and dangerous decision (Сибіга попередив про небезпеку відновлення постачання газу з Росії в Європу – Suspilne) (Сибіга наголосив, що не можна допустити повернення російського газу в Європу – my.ua).

Sybiha wrote that for Moscow, energy is a weapon rather than a business. He said Europe had learned this lesson at a high price and must not repeat past mistakes («Енергетика для Москви — це зброя»: Сибіга різко раскритикував ідеї відновлення постачання російського газу до ЄС • Портал АНТИКОР – antikor.info).

Reaction to reports of a possible deal

His post responded to a report by The Economist that the United States had proposed restoring Russian gas supplies to Europe, including operation of the Nord Stream pipeline bypassing Ukraine, as part of a possible peace agreement meant to win Moscow's cooperation. The New York Times had earlier reported that envoys of US President Donald Trump had floated similar ideas to President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Historical argument

Sybiha pointed to 2019, when Trump's decision to halt the construction of Nord Stream 2 was, in his words, one of the best investments in European security. He said a 2021 US decision to allow construction to resume was among the gravest strategic mistakes.

He also argued that opening routes for Russian pipelines would return energy blackmail and create conditions for new crises (Україна попередила Європу про наслідки повернення російського газу - Главком – glavcom.ua). He cited the consequences of building Russian gas pipelines that bypass Ukraine.