The European Commission is pressing ahead with plans to ban Russian gas imports by 2027, but cracks in the bloc’s consensus are already beginning to show—with Austria joining Hungary in urging a more pragmatic approach.
At an EU energy ministers’ meeting in Luxembourg on Monday, Austrian state secretary Elisabeth Zehetner reportedly told counterparts that Brussels should remain open to resuming Russian gas imports if peace is restored in Ukraine. “The EU must maintain the option to reassess the situation once the war has ended,” Austria’s energy ministry told the Financial Times.
Her remarks came as the Commission readies legal proposals to end all Russian pipeline and liquefied natural gas imports, using trade law to bypass likely vetoes from Hungary and Slovakia. The plan includes a full ban on new contracts from 2026 and an end to existing deals by 2028.
While the Commission insists the ban is legally watertight, dissenting voices warn that ideology must not trump energy security or economic reality.
