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E.U. officials debate returning to Russian gas as part of deal to end war — Financial Times

European officials have begin discussing whether E.U. member states should resume purchasing Russian pipeline gas as part of a potential deal to end the war in Ukraine, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.

Proponents of the idea argue that buying Russian gas would help bring down Europe’s high energy prices, encourage Russia to join negotiations, and incentivize both sides to establish and maintain a ceasefire. However, even preliminary discussions on the matter have sparked a backlash from Ukraine’s closest E.U. allies, the FT writes.

Three officials familiar with the talks told the newspaper that the idea has won support from Hungarian and German officials, as well as officials in several other E.U. countries who see it as a way to reduce energy costs.

At the same time, the proposal has angered officials in Brussels and several Eastern European countries, many of whom have sought to reduce the E.U.’s dependence on Russian energy since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. “It’s madness. How stupid could we be to even think about that as an option?” one unnamed European official told the FT.

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