In three years of efforts to wean itself off Russian gas dependence in Europe, the most obvious impact has been seen in Germany - the largest economy in the region.
Germany's industrial sector depends on cheap Russian gas. As energy prices soar, many German manufacturers are forced to move production abroad.
Christian Gunther, head of one of Germany's largest chemical industrial plants in Leuna, said the only way to recover for industries like his is to continue buying Russian gas.
In an interview with Bloomberg, he stressed that if peace is achieved in Ukraine, "we must ensure that other damages caused by this conflict will also be overcome." In particular, a return to using Russian gas will be a reasonable development.
Bloomberg pointed out that if the Russia-Ukraine conflict ends, the flow of Russian gas to Europe could be resumed. The leaders will decide whether to reuse Russian gas or not.
Feasible gas pipelines to connect Russian gas to Europe include restoring the transit route through Ukraine or using an unodenamed branch of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Nord Stream 2 is a gas pipeline connecting Russia and Germany directly across the Baltic Sea.
There is growing political support in Germany for resuming the use of Russian gas. Saxony-Anhalt Economic Minister Sven Schulze said that the Russia-Ukraine peace deal could significantly change the attitude towards energy from Russia.
"If we can achieve peace and build long-term confidence that Europe is not threatened by Russia, we must also openly discuss the future supply of Russian gas. I think permanently excluding the resumption of Russian gas supplies would be a mistake," Sven Schulze said.
A German economy ministry spokesman declined to comment directly on speculation about the return of Russian gas. " goal of escaping dependence on Russian gas is of strategic importance to the German government in terms of security policy and is a top priority," the spokesperson noted.
According to Jonathan Stern - a prominent researcher at the Oxford Energy Research Institute - the return of Russian gas will help reduce gas prices in Europe as well as create a bridge until liquefied natural gas is available on the market from 2026. In the long term, it will depend on the type of peace agreement and the level of compliance of both sides, he added.
The peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine will take months to complete. Next, to be able to resume Russian gas, it is necessary to have prolonged discussions between Gazprom and its Ukrainian partners on details of new transit activities, if any.
Manuela Grieger, former president of the InfraLeuna Workers' Union, also supports the use of Russian gas over concerns about the future of the German industry if gas prices remain high.
We need peace. We really need peace so that gas pipelines can reopen, so that supply security can be improved and at reasonable prices," she said.
