Austrian Energy Minister Leonora Gewessler appeals to gas traders: you should not bet on the fact that Russian natural gas will continue to flow to the European Union through Ukraine, according to the Bloomberg agency, quoted by Agerpres.

Although traditionally one of Russia’s best and oldest natural gas customers, Austria has stepped up its efforts to reduce its dependence on Russian supplies, which still cover more than half of the country’s needs.

Much of Russia’s natural gas goes through pipelines that cross Ukraine, but that could change quickly, Leonora Gewessler said.

“Our pipeline passes through the zone of active hostilities. Supplies may stop at any time. We must be ready,” said Leonor Gewessler in an interview with Bloomberg.

Estimated European natural gas prices rose more than 40% after Gerhard Reuss, former managing director of OMV and adviser to Leonor Gevesler, warned in early June that Ukraine and Russia were unlikely to renew a natural gas transit agreement that expires in 2024 year.

The agreement was brokered by the EU in 2019, and there are no guarantees that Ukraine or Russia will turn to the EU bloc for a solution, Gewessler said.

“But even without a transit agreement, gas can be transported,” the Austrian official added, adding that the agreement between Ukraine and Russia is “only part of the equation.”

Moreover, Austria has reduced its dependence on Russian gas

Austria maintains one of the closest relations with Russia in terms of energy. Russian group Gazprom covered about 80% of Austria’s gas demand at the start of the conflict in Ukraine, but that percentage has fallen to 50% in the past 18 months.

“We have managed to significantly reduce our dependence, but there is no doubt that it is still too high,” emphasized Leonor Gewessler.

Gewessler, 45, says the ministry he leads is working “intensely” to reduce the risk of winter fuel supply crises in the coming months. These initiatives range from increasing PV capacity to reserving capacity on alternative pipeline routes and reducing consumption.

In the long term, energy security will be ensured by the complete elimination of fossil fuels, said Gewessler, who is also a member of the government team working on Austria’s national defense strategy.

“The fact that conventional war has returned to Europe forces us to review our security policy more broadly. We see that energy carriers have become a tool in this conflict. Also, energy independence and energy transition have become a matter of national security,” said the Austrian Minister of Energy.

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