Many in Europe have convinced themselves that the EU’s relationship with Russia will not normalise after the end of the war in Ukraine. However, it seems that the Trump administration has other plans. It could use normalisation, especially in the energy relationship, as a carrot to try and persuade Russia to accept a peace deal. If Washington were prepared to pull that lever, Europe would find itself in an intractable position.
The German newspaper Handelsblatt has reported that, according to Russia, restarting Nord Stream 2 is actively being discussed as part of negotiations. It is never easy to distinguish truth from rumour in times of war, but it wouldn’t be totally surprising if this were the case. Previously, the US has been interested in exploring energy cooperation with Russia as part of the peace talks.
