European countries demand US$20 billion for undelivered gas from Russia

At least 19 corporations from 11 European states have filed lawsuits against Russia’s Gazprom for breaching gas contracts, and their total amount has reached €18.6 billion (US$20 billion). 

Source: Russian online newspaper The Moscow Times

Details: The largest claim, for €13 billion, was made by Uniper, Gazprom's former principal client in Germany and a co-investor in the Nord Stream 2 project. The corporation, which buys 20 billion cubic metres of gas from Russia each year, claimed compensation for multibillion-dollar damages resulting from the supply disruption. The Stockholm arbitration concluded in June 2024, fully satisfying its claim.

RWE, another German gas importer that receives 1 billion cubic metres each year, has demanded an additional US$1 billion from Gazprom. French Engie has filed an arbitration action against Gazprom, seeking more than €300 million.

In Austria, which continues to buy Russian gas, which covers about 90% of its consumption, the country's largest energy business, OMV, launched a €575.3 million lawsuit against Gazprom.

In Finland, where Russian gas dominated the market prior to the full-scale invasion, Gasum initiated a case against Gazprom. In Italy, the oil firm Eni refused to comply with Vladimir Putin's directive requiring payment of supplies in roubles.

Europol Gaz, which manages the Polish segment of the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline that transports gas from Western Siberia to German consumers, has filed a €1.5 billion lawsuit against Gazprom. In Czechia, Net4gas and Innogy Energie have filed claims against Gazprom for short-delivered gas: the first seeks €113 million, the second €78 million. In Switzerland, gas dealers DXT Commodities and Axpo Solutions have filed lawsuits totalling over €1 billion.

In the Netherlands, the gas transmission system operator Gasunie Transport Services demands €275 million from Gazprom. BBL Company V.O.F. has filed another complaint for failure to use reserved gas capabilities. ZSE Energia and Východoslovenská energetika in Slovakia are suing Gazprom, while Bulgargaz, Bulgaria's national gas provider, is seeking €400 million for contract termination.

According to Moscow-based brokerage BCS estimates, the total amount of claims against Gazprom exceeded its net income from petrol sales to all international markets combined: US$10 billion annually from supplies to Europe and Türkiye, US$7 billion to China, and US$2 billion from exports to the CIS and Central Asia.

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