MOSCOW, May 9 (Reuters) - The issue of Russian gas

shipments to Europe is being discussed at talks between Russia

and the United States, state news agency TASS quoted a Kremlin

official as saying on Friday, confirming an exclusive report by

Reuters a day earlier.

Russian gas exports to Europe were slashed after the

Nord Stream pipelines under the Baltic Sea were blown up in

2022. At the start of this year, gas flows via Ukraine came to

a halt after Kyiv refused to renew a transit agreement because

of the war.

Now, however, U.S. President

Donald Trump

is pushing for peace in Ukraine, raising the prospects of a

thaw in gas ties. Eight sources familiar with the talks have

told Reuters that officials from Washington and Moscow have held

discussions

about the U.S. helping to revive Russian gas sales to the

continent.

Sources close to the bilateral discussions said carving

out a renewed role for Moscow in the European Union's gas market

could help cement a peace deal with Russian President

Vladimir Putin

.

"We are raising this issue with the Americans," Interfax

news agency quoted senior Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov as saying in

when asked if the revival of Russian gas supplies was under

discussion.