The European Union has reached a political deal to ban all imports of Russian natural gas by autumn 2027 as part of efforts to cut off a major source of funding for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
The agreement, struck between EU member states and the European Parliament, sets a binding timeline to phase out both pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia after years of dependence on its supplies.
Under the deal, long-term LNG contracts with Russian suppliers will be banned from January 1, 2027, while new long-term pipeline gas contracts will be prohibited from September 30, 2027, at the latest by November 1, 2027, depending on storage levels.
Short-term contracts will be phased out earlier, with LNG contracts ending from April 25, 2026, and short-term pipeline gas deals stopping from June 17, 2026.
EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen said the bloc was choosing energy security and independence, declaring that Europe would no longer be vulnerable to blackmail or market manipulation by the Kremlin and reaffirming solidarity with Ukraine.
The ban still requires formal approval by the European Parliament and the Council, but EU officials say it marks a decisive step in reducing Russian gas from about 45 percent of EU imports before the 2022 invasion to zero by the end of the decade.
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