EU agrees deal to end Russian gas purchases by 2027

Deal connected delayed day a measurement towards cutting Russia’s backing for its warfare successful Ukraine.

The European Union has reached a woody to extremity each Russian state imports by November 2027.

The “provisional agreement” betwixt the European Council – the grouping of the 27 governments of the bloc’s subordinate states – and the European Parliament was announced connected Wednesday.

Although the deadline is aboriginal than that sought by the parliament and immoderate subordinate states, the woody progresses efforts to extremity each vigor imports into the bloc from Russia, which proceed to supply Moscow with captious financing to powerfulness its warfare connected Ukraine.

Under the deal, subordinate states volition halt imports of Russian liquefied earthy state (LNG) by the extremity of 2026. Pipeline state imports volition halt by November 2027.

The effort to halt purchases has struggled implicit the past 4 years owed to the heavy dependence of galore subordinate states connected Russian energy. The bloc’s wide reliance was adjacent to 50 percent earlier Moscow unleashed its full-scale penetration of its neighbour successful February 2022.

The determination aims “to extremity dependency connected Russian vigor pursuing Russia’s weaponisation of state supplies with important effects connected the European vigor market”, said a European Council statement.

Welcoming the announcement, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “Europe is closing the pat connected Russian fossil fuels erstwhile and for all. Energy independency starts now.”

‘No much blackmail’

EU leaders celebrated quality of the long-sought deal to yet halt Russian state imports, which required a compromise betwixt the subordinate states and the European Parliament implicit the day of the cut-off.

Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen said, “We’ve chosen vigor information and independency for Europe. No much blackmail. No much marketplace manipulation by Putin. We basal beardown with Ukraine.”

Europe volition halt importing Russian state earlier extremity 2027. @Europarl_EN & @EUCouncil agreed connected our projected import ban.

We are sending a wide connection to Russia: Europe volition ne'er again fto its vigor proviso beryllium utilized arsenic a weapon.

Europe is present connected the pathway for independence.

— Dan Jørgensen (@DanJoergensen) December 3, 2025

Under the deal, semipermanent pipeline contracts volition beryllium banned from September 30, 2027, provided retention levels are sufficient, and nary aboriginal than November 1, 2027. Short-term contracts volition beryllium outlawed by June 17, 2026.

Long-term contracts connected LNG volition beryllium prohibited from January 1, 2027, with short-term contracts phased retired from April 25, 2026.

The timelines are yet to gain last support from the European Parliament and the European Council.

European companies volition beryllium capable to invoke “force majeure” to legally warrant breaking existing contracts, citing the EU import ban.

Political obstacles

For now, the EU inactive depends connected large quantities of Russian gas, with changing suppliers much logistically challenging than for oil, connected which astir subordinate states person managed to switch.

The stock of Russian state successful EU imports fell from 45 percent successful 2021, but remained astatine 19 percent past year.

While Europe has slashed pipeline deliveries, Russia remains a cardinal supplier of LNG, accounting for 20 percent of imports successful 2024 – oregon astir 20 cardinal cubic metres retired of astir 100bcm – leaving it lone down the United States (45 percent).

However, determination person besides been governmental obstacles.

Hungary and Slovakia, which are diplomatically person to Moscow and import the astir Russian energy, person agelong opposed sanctions connected Russian energy and person analyzable EU efforts to walk them.

The woody besides calls connected the European Commission to draught a program successful the coming months to extremity the sanctions loopholes that let the 2 landlocked Central European countries to proceed buying Russian oil.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban thumbed his chemoreceptor astatine Brussels past period by deciding to support importing Russian hydrocarbons during a gathering with President Vladimir Putin.