The EU will completely abandon Russian gas by 30 September 2027
European Council and European Parliament agree on final rules obliging EU member states to to completely stop importing Russian natural gas by 30 September 2027. This is stated in the official statement of the European Council.
The document provides for a legally binding schedule for reducing imports and gradually withdrawing all contracts related to Russian gas from circulation.
Intermediate stages: what will be banned and when
The EU has approved three key milestones:
1. By June 2026
complete cessation spot purchases of Russian gas;
a ban on short-term procurement schemes through intermediaries.
2. By 1 January 2027
elimination of all long-term contracts for the supply of LNG (liquefied natural gas) from Russia;
a ban on signing new LNG contracts with Russian companies.
3. Until 30 September 2027
complete cessation of supplies pipeline gas from the territory of the Russian Federation, including transit routes;
technical disconnection of the infrastructure from Russian gas sources.
Why the EU is moving to a full phase-out
In a statement, the European Council noted that this decision is critical for:
Europe's energy independence,
Reducing strategic vulnerability,
depriving russia of energy revenues, The money is used to finance the war against Ukraine.
The EU has already reduced the share of Russian gas from more than 40% in 2021 to less than 10% in 2025, mainly due to increased LNG imports from the US, Qatar and Norway, as well as the development of green energy.
Context.
This is the first legally binding decision to establish the specific date of full «zeroing» Russian gas. Previously, such statements were political in nature, but now they have become part of EU energy legislation.
For Ukraine, the decision is of strategic importance, as the reduction in Russia's energy export revenues directly weakens its ability to finance the war.
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