Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has reiterated that it is too early to review the option of tapping Russian gas, saying Rome has not yet embraced any move to reinstate Moscow as a supplier, even as the Middle East crisis tightens global energy‑supply conditions. Speaking on 14 April 2026, Meloni stressed that the question of whether to reconsider Russian gas flows must be assessed over time, both at the national level and within the European Union’s sanctions‑ and energy‑security framework, rather than through a hasty political shift.
Meloni reminded audiences that Italy cut or sharply scaled back its reliance on Russian pipeline gas after 2022, diversifying imports toward Norway, Algeria, Azerbaijan and other suppliers. Official EU data show that, in 2025–2026, Italian gas storage levels have consistently run above the bloc’s average, with Italy’s state‑linked grid operator reporting reserves at comfortably above‑average percentages heading into the current spring‑summer period. At the same time, EU‑level laws already in force, including the REPowerEU‑linked gas‑phase‑out regulation adopted in January 2026, obligate member states to end imports of Russian liquefied and pipeline gas by the end of 2027, and Italian officials have publicly backed that timeline.
In line with those positions, Meloni has signalled that any decision on reopening Russian‑gas channels would need to be discussed in Brussels‑led coordination rather than unilaterally, and that no such reversal is currently on the table. Open‑source policy‑watch reports note that Italy, like several other EU states, is instead exploring a mix of measures—extra storage, LNG‑terminal optimisation, managed deferment of coal‑plant closures, and stronger regional‑infrastructure links—to cope with potential supply shocks linked to the Iran war and Gulf‑related disruptions.