BUSINESS – The European Union has struck a historic deal to phase out all imports of Russian natural gas by the end of 2027, a cornerstone move under the REPowerEU roadmap aimed at ending energy dependence on Russia.
Under this agreement, liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia will be phased out by the end of 2026, and pipeline-delivered gas will be fully banned by autumn 2027. New contracts for Russian gas will no longer be permitted starting 1 January 2026. Existing short-term deals concluded before 17 June 2025 must cease by 25 April 2026 for LNG or 17 June 2026 for pipeline gas. Meanwhile, long-term agreements involving LNG must end no later than 1 January 2027, and long-term pipeline-gas contracts must be terminated by 30 September 2027 — with a possible extension to early November for countries facing storage issues.
“This is the dawn of a new era, the era of Europe’s full energy independence from Russia,” declared Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. “Today, we are stopping these imports permanently. By depleting Putin’s war chest, we stand in solidarity with Ukraine and set our sights on new energy partnerships and opportunities for the sector.”
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As part of the deal, member states must present national plans to diversify their energy supply by 1 March 2026. The agreement also tightens transparency rules — companies importing gas must declare the origin of supply and provide data to customs and regulatory authorities to avoid any circumvention.
Though finalized as a provisional agreement between the European Council and the European Parliament, it represents a major legal and political shift: instead of temporary sanctions, this will embed the gas ban into permanent regulation. The aim is to drastically reduce — and eventually eliminate — the bloc’s reliance on Russian fossil-fuel revenues, which have helped fund Moscow’s war efforts.
The deal is already generating friction: two Russia-dependent member states, Hungary and Slovakia, have threatened legal action via the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), arguing the measure undermines their energy security.
Regardless of the dissent, this move marks a major pivot toward energy independence and signals a determined step by Europe to reshape its energy architecture — toward resilience, diversification, and a future less vulnerable to geopolitical manipulation.
