Under the pretext of Trump’s policy, Europe decided to return to Russian gas
14 April 15:52
European energy companies are discussing the possibility of partial resumption of Russian gas imports amid concerns about energy security and the use of energy resources as a lever in trade negotiations with the United States. This was reported by Reuters, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
According to Reuters, large European companies, including France’s Engie and TotalEnergies, are in favor of a limited resumption of gas imports from Russia, which was unimaginable a year ago.
Russian gas for France and Germany
Didier Hollo, executive vice president of Engie, noted that if peace is established in Ukraine, Europe could resume supplies of 60-70 billion cubic meters of gas annually. According to him, Russia could supply about 20-25% of the EU’s needs, compared to 40% before the war.
Patrick Pouyanne, CEO of TotalEnergies, warned Europe of the risks of over-reliance on American gas, emphasizing the need to diversify suppliers.
German industrialists, especially representatives of the chemical industry, are the most in favor of returning to Russian gas. According to Christoph Gunther, head of the Leuna Chemical Park, the German chemical industry is going through a serious crisis, cutting jobs for five quarters in a row.
According to a poll conducted by the Forsa Institute, 49% of Germans in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where the Nord Stream gas pipeline comes ashore, want to return to Russian gas.
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Europe is not concerned about Russia, but about Trump
Ongoing trade disputes with the Trump administration are increasing Europe’s concerns about its dependence on American liquefied natural gas (LNG). Experts warn that the United States may use LNG supplies as a geopolitical tool of pressure.
Last year, the United States accounted for 16.7% of EU gas imports, second only to Norway (33.6%) and ahead of Russia (18.8%). This year, Russia’s share is expected to fall below 10% after the closure of Ukrainian transit pipelines.
The EU has previously set a goal to cut off Russian gas by 2027, but has twice postponed the publication of a detailed plan to achieve this goal.
The return to Russian gas is complicated by arbitration cases filed by European companies against Gazprom for non-fulfillment of contracts after the war in Ukraine. Germany’s Uniper and Austria’s OMV have already won compensation of €14 billion and €230 million, respectively.
The European Union and Russian gas
As of the beginning of 2022, the EU was 40% dependent on Russian gas. In 2021, 65% of the gas purchased by Germany was Russian. In 2024, according to Reuters, 18% of the EU’s gas imports were Russian.
Some EU countries, such as Hungary and Slovakia, remain dependent on Russian gas. These countries’ contracts with Gazprom provide for gas supplies through the Ukrainian gas transportation system. Austria has signed a contract for gas supplies until 2040, but it has already declared that it has eliminated its dependence on Russian fuel.
After both Nord Stream and the Ukrainian gas transportation system are shut down, Russia will be able to supply gas to Europe only through the Turkish Stream.
According to the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, the European Union has bought 207 billion euros worth of energy from Russia.
The EU has spent more on Russian fuel than on aid to Ukraine.
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