Brussels backs Russian gas ban despite opposition from Hungary and Slovakia
BRUSSELS: European Union countries on Monday gave final approval to the bloc’s plan to ban Russian gas imports by late 2027, formally allowing the measure to become law.
The new policy legally enshrines the EU’s commitment to cut ties with its former top gas supplier nearly four years after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
EU ministers approved the law during a meeting in Brussels, although Slovakia and Hungary voted against it. Hungary has said it will challenge the decision at the European Court of Justice.
The ban was designed to pass with a reinforced majority, allowing the EU to move forward despite opposition from Hungary and Slovakia, both of which remain heavily reliant on Russian energy and seek to maintain close relations with Moscow.
Under the agreement, the EU will halt Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports by the end of 2026 and cease pipeline gas imports by September 30, 2027. The law allows the deadline to extend to November 1, 2027, if a country faces difficulties filling its gas storage with non-Russian supplies ahead of the winter heating season.
Before the Ukraine war, Russia supplied more than 40 percent of the EU’s gas, but by 2025, that share had fallen to around 13 percent, according to the latest EU data. According to experts Estimated revenue loss for Russia from reduced EU gas exports: ~$27 billion per year
