German gas company Uniper said on Tuesday it was close to nationalization as Berlin stepped in to prop up the energy sector amid a crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Uniper is in “final talks” about a deal with the federal government and its majority shareholder, Finnish state-owned energy company Fortum, a statement said.

Under the plan under discussion, the federal government would “acquire the Uniper shares currently held by Fortum” and “receive a significant majority stake in Uniper,” the company said.

The federal government would also invest eight billion euros ($8 billion) in cash to prop up the struggling energy company, Uniper said.

“The final agreement has not yet been finalized,” she added.

Uniper, one of the biggest importers of Russian gas, was pressured when Moscow cut supplies to the continent after invading Ukraine in February.

Missing supplies have had to be replaced with expensive supplies from the free market, where gas prices have skyrocketed.

The German state had already promised in July as part of an initial rescue package that it would take a 30 percent stake in Uniper.

But Uniper announced earlier this month that both sides are exploring a possible nationalization as the energy crisis showed no signs of abating.

Controlling shareholder Fortum separately confirmed that bailout talks are in the “final stages” and that support Uniper received earlier this year is set to be reimbursed.

Fortum provided Uniper with a EUR 8 billion loan in January as gas prices started to rise due to tensions with Moscow even before the invasion of Ukraine.

The Finnish company held a nearly 80 percent stake in Uniper, which would have been cut to around 56 percent in the July rescue plan.

The Helsinki Stock Exchange earlier on Tuesday announced a halt to trading in Fortum shares amid talks about an upcoming deal on the nationalization of Uniper.

Shares in Fortum were up 9.5 percent to 12.10 euros before the suspension, while Uniper on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange was up 3.8 percent to 4.18 euros at the close.

Finland’s minister in charge of state-owned companies said the Nordic country “will not accept nationalization without compensation”.

“We think it’s important that Fortum gets back the eight billion it paid to Uniper and that Finnish taxpayers in general don’t incur unreasonable costs for solving this crisis,” Minister Tytti Tuppurainen said in Brussels on Tuesday.

In early September, the federal government began talks with another gas supplier, VNG, about a possible rescue package.

Russia’s war in Ukraine has triggered an earthquake in Europe’s energy markets, increasing pressure on suppliers and fueling fears of potential winter shortages.

Germany is particularly exposed due to its previous heavy dependence on Russian energy imports.

Since the outbreak of war, Berlin has been working to wean itself off from Russian gas and to secure alternative supply options.

Officials have seized key pieces of energy infrastructure in the hands of Russian energy companies and ordered gas storage tanks to be filled.

Germany has also taken the radical step of restarting mothballed coal-fired power plants and granting an extension to nuclear plants that were due to be shut down later this year as part of a long-planned energy transition.

Nationalization could also jeopardize planned consumer gas surcharges, of which Uniper should be a key beneficiary.

The levy, due to take effect on October 1, should support the energy market by allowing struggling companies to pass on rising costs.

But it sparked outrage when it was revealed that even highly profitable energy companies with low gas exposures have applied to receive the levy.