Austria urges EU to leave door open for Russian gas imports after war

Austria has called on the European Union to remain open to the possibility of resuming natural gas imports from Russia if a peace agreement is reached to end the war in Ukraine, becoming one of the few EU member states to publicly raise such a prospect.

In a statement to the Financial Times, Austria’s energy ministry said Brussels “must maintain the option to reassess the situation once the war has ended.” This follows reports that Austria’s state secretary for energy, Elisabeth Zehetner, brought up the matter during a meeting with her EU counterparts in Luxembourg on June 16, according to diplomats familiar with the meeting.

Vienna’s position is notable as it represents the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 that a member state other than Hungary or Slovakia has openly discussed the potential resumption of Russian gas flows post-conflict.

Meanwhile, the European Commission is preparing to propose a ban on new gas contracts with Russia and the phasing out of existing ones within two years, regardless of whether peace negotiations succeed.

Dan Jørgensen, the EU energy commissioner, warned on June 16 that any peace settlement should not trigger a return to Russian gas. “That would be a very unwise decision because that would just be refilling Putin’s war chest with money,” he said. “I think that would be to repeat the mistakes that we have made in the past.”

Unlike Russian coal and oil — which were subjected to a 2022 EU ban and a G7 price cap, respectively — natural gas has so far avoided formal EU sanctions. Despite this, most EU countries voluntarily reduced or eliminated Russian gas imports, with Germany notably ending its purchases even as it faced significant economic repercussions. In contrast, imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) actually increased, reaching a record 16.5 million tonnes in 2023.

Brussels has previously rejected the idea of making the resumption of Russian gas imports a part of any post-war peace agreement. The Commission is also advancing a proposal to ban the Nord Stream pipelines linking Germany and Russia — a move endorsed by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to avoid domestic political pressure to revert to cheaper Russian gas in the future.

Austria has long relied heavily on Russian gas, sourcing around 80% of its supply from Russia prior to the invasion of Ukraine. This dependence was reinforced through long-term agreements between Gazprom and Austria’s OMV, in which the Austrian government holds a 31.5% stake. OMV officially ended its relationship with Gazprom last December after a prolonged contractual dispute.

Vienna has since sought to diversify its gas sources, primarily by increasing imports from other European countries such as Germany. Although Austria maintains a policy of political neutrality and supports EU sanctions, it has been criticised for not reducing its reliance on Russian energy more swiftly since the war began.

Austria’s position echoes that of Hungary and Slovakia — both still heavily reliant on Russian energy and led by governments with pro-Russian leanings — who have opposed the EU’s goal of eliminating Russian fossil fuel imports entirely by 2027.

Italy, which, according to the think tank Ember, was the EU’s top importer of Russian gas last year, has also reportedly explored the possibility of resuming Russian gas purchases once hostilities cease, although these discussions have remained confidential. A spokesperson for Italy’s energy ministry declined to comment.

The European Commission is expected to rely on trade law when introducing the proposed ban on Russian gas, according to the Financial Times. Unlike EU sanctions, which must be unanimously renewed by all 27 member states every six months, the proposed gas ban would be permanent unless explicitly repealed.

Jørgensen emphasised that the Commission had obtained a strong legal opinion supporting the ban. He asserted that companies impacted by the measure would be able to invoke force majeure clauses in their contracts without facing financial penalties. “Since this will be a prohibition, a ban, the companies will not get into legal problems,” he said.

By Tamilla Hasanova