The European Union should be open to resuming Russian natural gas imports if a peace deal is reached between Russia and Ukraine, an Austrian official said, as Brussels readies a proposal to ban Russian imports.

The EU must be open to resuming Russian gas imports in the event of a peace deal being brokered to end the war in Ukraine, Austria has said — one of few countries in the bloc to openly float such an option. Brussels “must maintain the option to reassess the situation once the war has ended”, the Austrian energy ministry told the Financial Times.

The energy ministry's office has now denied that Austria was considering a resumption of imports from state-controlled Gazprom.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Kyiv is counting on Austria's support in tackling the issue of the Ukrainian oligarchs hiding in Europe and concealing their assets there. Source:

Austria has called on the European Commission to preserve the possibility of resuming imports of Russian gas in the event of a peace agreement on Ukraine.

Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen has called on the Russian leadership to end its war of aggression against Ukraine and engage in serious and honest negotiations aimed at a peaceful settlement.

The European Union should be open to resuming Russian natural gas imports in the future if a peace deal is reached between Russia and Ukraine, an Austrian official said, as Brussels readies a proposal to ban Russian imports.