European Union member states on Monday reached a landmark agreement to completely phase out gas imports from Russia by the end of 2027, marking a decisive step in reducing the bloc’s long-standing energy dependence on Moscow amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
At a meeting in Luxembourg, EU energy ministers approved a European Commission plan to end imports of both pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia, pending ratification by the European Parliament.
Denmark’s Energy Minister Lars Aagaard, whose country currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency, described the decision as “a crucial step” toward ensuring Europe’s long-term energy independence.
“Although we have worked hard and pushed to get Russian gas and oil out of Europe in recent years, we are not there yet,” Aagaard said.
The move forms part of the EU’s broader strategy to wean the continent off Russian energy supplies, which have long been a source of geopolitical leverage for the Kremlin.
LNG Ban Planned a Year Earlier
In parallel, the European Commission is pushing for a ban on Russian LNG imports by January 2027, one year earlier than the overall deadline, as part of a new package of sanctions designed to further restrict Moscow’s wartime revenues.
Unlike sanctions, which require unanimous consent from all 27 member states, Monday’s trade restriction only needed support from a weighted majority of 15 countries — a threshold that was comfortably met.
Only Hungary and Slovakia voted against the measure, citing their continued reliance on Russian gas.
“The real impact of this regulation is that our safe supply of energy in Hungary is going to be killed,” Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told reporters, arguing that the landlocked nation has limited alternatives due to geography.
Transition Period for Existing Contracts
Under the newly adopted plan, new contracts for Russian gas imports will be banned from January 1, 2026.
Existing agreements will be phased out gradually: short-term contracts can continue until June 17, 2027, while long-term ones must end by January 1, 2028.
Despite a sharp drop in Russian pipeline gas deliveries since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, several EU countries have increased imports of Russian LNG shipped by sea, offsetting part of the decline.
According to European Commission data, Russian gas still accounts for about 13 percent of the EU’s total gas imports in 2025 — equivalent to €15 billion annually.
The new phaseout plan underscores the bloc’s commitment to energy diversification and reinforces its goal of becoming fully independent from Russian fossil fuels within the next three years.
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