No more Russian gas! EU to end remaining gas imports from Moscow by 2027 — Here's why?

European Union member states on Monday reached an agreement to completely phase out their remaining gas imports from Russia by the end of 2027, marking a significant move to end the bloc's reliance on Moscow amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. The proposal was approved by the European Commission in Luxembourg to gradually phase out both pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from Russia, pending approval from the European Parliament.

The Energy Minister of Denmark, Lars Aagaard, who holds the European Union's rotating presidency, hailed the move as a "crucial" step to make Europe energy self-reliant. The proposal is a part of a wider EU strategy to avoid the bloc's dependency on Russian energy supplies. "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, news agency AFP reported.

The commission is also advocating for liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from Russia to be halted a year earlier, by January 2027, under a new sanctions package designed to weaken the war finances of Russia against Ukraine. However, such sanctions require unanimous consent from all 27 EU member states, a consensus that has often proven difficult to achieve.

What do the new contracts say?

Monday’s trade restrictions, by contrast, only needed the approval of a weighted majority, at least 15 member states. According to diplomats, all nations except Hungary and Slovakia backed the decision as both nations maintain closer ties with the Kremlin and continue to receive Russian gas through pipelines.

"The real impact of this regulation is that our safe supply of energy in Hungary is going to be killed," said Budapest's top diplomat, Peter Szijjarto. His government stated that the landlocked country requires importing gas from Russia due to geographical constraints.

Based on the approved proposal on Monday, which is most likely to also win the support of the European Parliament, Russian gas imports will be banned as of January 1, 2026, under new contracts. However, the current agreements will be given a transition period, allowing gas deliveries under short-term contracts until 17 June next year and under long-term contracts until 1 January 2028.

While pipeline gas imports from Russia have significantly declined since the start of the Ukraine invasion, several European nations have boosted their intake of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipped by sea. As of 2025, Russian gas is still estimated to make up about 13 per cent of the EU’s total imports, valued at more than 15 billion euros annually, according to EU officials in Brussels.