Some EU States Suggest Resuming Gas Imports from Russia As Part of Ukraine Settlement

Three of the officials briefed on the talks said that the idea had been endorsed by some German and Hungarian officials, with support from other capitals that saw it as a way to reduce European energy costs, the paper wrote, TASS reported.

"Advocates of buying Russian gas argue it would bring down high energy prices in Europe, encourage Moscow to the negotiating table, and give both sides a reason to implement and maintain a ceasefire," FT said. "In the end, everybody wants lower energy costs," a senior EU official told the newspaper.

Floating the resumption of gas imports from Russia "has infuriated Brussels officials and diplomats from some eastern European countries, many of whom have spent the past three years working to reduce the amount of Russian energy being imported into the bloc," according to the publication. Moreover, raising the idea of reopening flows of Russian gas into Europe "has sparked a backlash among Ukraine’s closest allies in the EU," the paper said.

TurkStream remains the only active route for Russian gas supplies to Europe now. The gas pipeline running from Russia to Turkey through the Black Sea with a capacity of 31.5 bln cubic meters of gas is designed to supply gas to Turkey and the countries of Southern and Southeastern Europe.