It will take Austria several years to abandon Russian gas and the accumulation of emergency reserve will most likely include supplies from Russia.

Ukraine has forced Austria to face several " uncomfortable truths," one of which is the difficulty of finding gas supplies from other markets, Energy Minister Leonore Gewessler said, Bloomberg reported. “It will be a huge effort, and we have to be up front that it will take time,” she said.

Austria is still bound by a long-term gas supply contract with Russia until 2040.

But a recent report by the Austrian Energy Agency said the country could stop importing Russian natural gas in five years by diversifying supplies, improving energy efficiency and using synthetic fuels.

Gewessler 's comments illustrate the difficulties faced by some European countries seeking to end their dependence on Russian energy.

While the EU is gradually approaching a full-scale embargo on russian oil, it faces opposition from some countries, such as Hungary, which has called on the EU to exclude member states that get their supplies through the pipeline.