Europe was predicted to return to Russian gas

The stable supply of energy resources remains a priority for certain European Union member states.

This was stated by Igbal Guliyev, Deputy Director of the International Institute for Energy Policy and Diplomacy at MGIMO and an economist, as quoted by Izvestia.

He made this comment in response to Austria’s call to resume purchases of Russian gas if hostilities in Ukraine come to an end. Guliyev described the initiative as logical under the current economic conditions. He believes that if Vienna is able to implement this step, other countries—primarily in Central and Eastern Europe—might follow suit. As a result, the EU could revise its strategy and prioritize policies that are economically rational.

Earlier, Austria’s State Secretary for Energy, Elisabeth Köstinger, expressed the view that the current situation regarding Russian hydrocarbon imports to the EU should be subject to reconsideration once the armed conflict in Ukraine ends. However, EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen maintains that a peace agreement should not result in Europe resuming imports of Russian gas.