Natural gas from Russia: New decision - and this will happen soon for millions of families
The European Union countries have agreed on a decisive step: all imports of Russian natural gas and liquefied natural gas will be completely phased out by the end of 2027. Millions of households in Europe are expected to feel the impact of this significant shift.
Energy ministers confirmed this goal as part of the REPowerEU plan, which aims to eliminate dependence on Russian gas through pipelines and LNG. Short-term contracts with Russia will end in mid-2026, while long-term gas contracts must be completely halted by November 1, 2027. Some exceptions will allow landlocked countries to access gas for an additional two months after the short-term contracts expire. The ban on Russian LNG will begin in January 2027 in line with the nineteenth package of European sanctions.
However, the decision did not receive unanimous support. Hungary and Slovakia voted against it due to their heavy reliance on Russian gas. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó warned that the plan threatens national energy security. The two countries announced that they would go to the European Court of Justice to challenge the law once it is adopted definitively. The legislation includes an emergency clause allowing the European Commission to temporarily suspend the ban if a member state is at significant risk in terms of supplies.
Recent statistics show sharp differences in European countries' reliance on energy. Countries like the Netherlands (62.32%), Italy (46.70%), Hungary (46.43%), and Luxembourg (45.29%) have heavily relied on gas in 2023. Meanwhile, Malta (75.42%) and Bulgaria (51.73%) primarily depend on electricity. Croatia, Latvia, Slovenia, and Estonia rely more on renewable energy and biofuels. Ireland notably depends on petroleum products, while Denmark relies on central heating.
Germany has completely abandoned Russian natural gas and LNG. Economy Minister Katrin Reiche confirmed that cutting off energy revenues to Russia is essential to deprive Moscow of funding for its war against Ukraine. In Brussels, discussions are also underway regarding a new sanctions package to ban Russian LNG imports starting in 2027, but it requires the approval of all 27 countries, making its passage more difficult. Nevertheless, recent EU decisions affirm its determination to permanently protect itself from the risks of political blackmail related to energy.