Information
EU ministers from all 27 member states have given final approval to a regulation that will ban all Russian gas imports by late 2027, formalizing the bloc’s effort to cut energy ties with Moscow following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The policy mandates an end to liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports by the end of 2026 and pipeline gas by September 30, 2027, with a possible extension to November 2027 if countries struggle to meet winter storage needs. Member states must prepare national plans to diversify energy supplies, and the ban may be temporarily suspended if supply security is seriously threatened.
The regulation was passed using reinforced majority rules, allowing it to move forward despite opposition from Hungary and Slovakia, which remain reliant on Russian energy and maintain closer relations with Russia. Hungary has said it will challenge the decision in court. Before the war, Russia supplied over 40% of the EU’s gas, but this share had fallen to about 13% by 2025, reflecting the bloc’s ongoing shift away from Russian energy sources.
Source: Reuters
So What
Although the ban on Russian gas is likely to damage Russia financially, the lengthy process leading up to this decision has given Moscow ample time to adapt and prepare for the loss of European markets. Furthermore, while cutting Russian gas imports provides immediate political and economic support to Ukraine, it also strengthens the EU’s long-term energy security by reducing a dependency that likely emboldened Russia in the first place, as Europe’s heavy reliance on Russian energy was a key factor that may have contributed to Russia’s confidence in launching its invasion.
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