Austria's Gas Flow Halted by Gazprom

Early Saturday morning, Austria found itself without Russian natural gas. The halt came after the Austrian energy company OMV announced it would no longer pay for gas from Gazprom, the Russian state-owned gas giant. This decision was made to recoup a $242 million arbitration award won against Gazprom for earlier supply disruptions to its German subsidiary. Austria's Chancellor, Karl Nehammer, had assured the public a day before that the country had enough alternative fuel to get through the winter. OMV echoed this confidence, stating that their gas storage facilities were over 90% full and they had enough reserves to supply their customers if needed. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen took to social media to condemn the move, stating that Russian President Vladimir Putin was using energy as a weapon. She assured Europeans that they were prepared for such actions and ready for the winter ahead. The cutoff is not the first of its kind. In 2022, Russia stopped most of its gas supplies to Europe, citing payment disputes. This led European countries to seek alternative supplies at higher prices, often importing liquefied natural gas from the U. S. and Qatar. Austria is particularly affected by these disruptions, with about 98% of its natural gas coming from Russia as of last December.