EU permanently phasing out Russian gas even after end of war in Ukraine
Photo: The EU is finally phasing out Russian gas even after the end of the war in Ukraine (Getty Images)
The European Union does not plan to resume imports of Russian gas even in the event of a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia, states EU Commissioner for Energy Dan Jørgensen, according to a broadcast.
On 20 October, the EU Council approved a phased ban on imports of Russian gas starting 1 January 2026, based on a proposal from the European Commission. The Commissioner described the decision as historic.
According to Jørgensen, this means that "even after a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine is concluded, the European Union will not import Russian energy resources."
"In my opinion, in the future we should not import a single molecule of Russian energy, and this is a very, very important signal that needs to be sent," he said.
What was agreed
Today the EU Council approved a plan to phase out Russian gas, bypassing the veto of its main buyers, Slovakia and Hungary. The full import ban will take effect on 1 January 2028.
The Council confirmed that imports of Russian gas will be prohibited starting 1 January 2026, with a transitional period for existing contracts.
In particular, short-term contracts signed before June 17, 2025, may remain in force until June 17, 2026, while long-term contracts will be valid until January 1, 2028.
It is also known that certain concessions have been granted to landlocked countries such as Hungary and Slovakia.
EU’s phase-out of Russian gas
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine, energy dependence on Russia has become one of the EU’s key concerns, and Russian fuel is gradually being pushed out of the European market.
According to media reports, since the beginning of the invasion, the share of Russian gas in EU imports has fallen from over 40% to around 19%.
US President Donald Trump has also repeatedly called on the EU to stop purchasing Russian oil, stressing that this is critical for the effectiveness of possible US sanctions against Russia.
