German businesses are calling for the return of Russian gas after the war ends – Bloomberg

German businesses are urging a return to Russian gas supplies once the war in Ukraine is over.

Bloomberg reports this information.

Germany’s industrial sector was built on cheap Russian gas, and rising energy costs have already slowed economic growth, forcing some companies to relocate production abroad.

“This (the return of Russian gas) would be a logical consequence. If peace is achieved, we must also ensure that other damage caused by the conflict is repaired,” said Christian Günther, head of the largest chemical plant in eastern Germany.

According to him, Russian gas is the only way to revive key German industries, such as the chemical sector. A strong German economy, in turn, would help support Ukraine’s reconstruction.

Sven Schulze, the Economy Minister of Saxony-Anhalt, echoed this view: “If we can achieve peace and build long-term trust that Russia does not pose a threat to Europe, we should be open to discussing future Russian gas supplies… I believe it would be wrong to permanently rule out resuming gas imports.”

However, the final decision on gas purchases will be made by national leaders, and politically, it may be unacceptable for some, Bloomberg notes.

Possible routes for Russian gas supplies include restoring transit through Ukraine or using an undamaged pipeline of Nord Stream.

For now, the EU continues to increase purchases of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Earlier, The Economist reported that Europe is considering resuming large-scale Russian gas imports to revive struggling industries and ease pressure on households.