Negotiators from the European Union reached a consensus early Wednesday to gradually eliminate all imports of Russian gas by the autumn of 2027. This action is designed to cut off a significant source of revenue for Moscow, nearly four years into its conflict with Ukraine.
The agreement, finalized between representatives of the European Parliament and member states, establishes a clear timeline to reduce Europe’s long-standing dependence on Russian energy—an issue the EU has struggled to resolve since the full-scale invasion began.
“We’ve achieved it: Europe is permanently shutting off the flow of Russian gas,” stated EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen on X. “No more manipulation. No more coercion by Putin. We remain steadfast in our support for Ukraine.”
According to the terms of the agreement, long-term contracts for gas transported via pipelines, which can tie buyers for many years, will be prohibited starting September 30, 2027, contingent on adequate gas storage levels, and no later than November 1, 2027. Long-term contracts for liquefied natural gas (LNG) will face an earlier ban beginning January 1, 2027.
Shorter-term agreements are set to be phased out in 2026, with limitations beginning April 25 for LNG and June 17 for pipeline gas.
The European Council noted that the timeline is intended “to eliminate reliance on Russian energy following the weaponization of gas supplies by Russia,” which caused market instability and led to price spikes across the EU.
Additionally, European companies will be able to invoke force majeure to terminate existing contracts once the ban is enacted.
This agreement still requires formal ratification by the European Parliament and the national governments.
As part of the arrangement, the European Commission will create a strategy to end oil imports from Russia to Hungary and Slovakia by the end of 2027. These two landlocked nations were previously granted exemptions when the EU implemented an oil embargo in 2022.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who recently met President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, has continued to express his desire to purchase Russian energy.
The proportion of Russian gas in the EU’s imports has significantly decreased since the invasion in 2022, falling from 45% in 2021 to approximately 19% this year.
Despite a steep decline in pipeline volumes, Europe has increased its imports of Russian LNG, which is transported by ship and converted back to gas at European ports. In 2024, Russia accounted for about 20% of the EU’s LNG imports, ranking second only to the United States.
European Union officials estimate that this year, Russian LNG deliveries to the bloc will amount to roughly 15 billion euros ($17.5 billion).
