The lawyer called the consequences of a possible termination of EU contracts for the supply of gas from the Russian Federation

Violations of the termination of contracts for the supply of gas from the Russian Federation are possible, but entail legal consequences. Dmitry Labin, a professor at MGIMO and an expert in international law, shared this opinion in an interview with Izvestia on April 15.

The day before, it was reported that the European Union (EU) is exploring legal options for terminating contracts for the supply of Russian gas without paying fines.

"International law cannot end — the question is how it is used. This is a tool for reaching a compromise, but it all depends on the qualifications of the participants," Lubin explained.

According to him, contract violations are possible, but the question is what the legal consequences will be and how the affected party will be able to compensate for the losses.

The lawyer explained that gas supply contracts are not concluded by states, but by companies.

"In Russia, national oil and gas companies are engaged in this, often with state participation. Disputes in case of termination of contracts will be considered within the framework of international private law," he said.

According to the expert, contracts usually include penalties and arbitration clauses. If one party refuses to fulfill its obligations, the case will be referred to international commercial arbitration. The decision will depend on how well the parties justify their position.

"From an economic point of view, hardly anyone will offer a better value for money than Russian suppliers. But if politicians make such a decision, legal mechanisms will allow them to seek compensation," Labin concluded.

Fuel bug: The EU may reconsider its position of rejecting gas from the Russian Federation

The European Commission has already postponed the publication of the roadmap for the final cessation of supplies from Russia.

The Reuters news agency reported that European producers allowed a return to gas from Russia due to the policy of US President Donald Trump. Didier Ollo, executive vice president of the French energy and gas company Engie, said that in the event of a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, the Europeans could return to 60 billion cubic meters of supplies. m per year or 70 billion cubic meters, including LNG.

Earlier, on March 17, Igor Yushkov, an expert and lecturer at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, predicted an increase in gas prices in Europe in an interview with Izvestia in the event of abandonment of Russian LNG. According to him, in order to replace Russian gas, Europe will have to reorient supplies from Qatar, which is currently sending its fuel to Asia.