EU to propose banning Russian gas imports by end of 2027

The move aims to enhance energy security and reduce reliance on the EU’s once-top gas supplier

Reading Time:3 minutes

The EU is moving ahead with a long-held intention to phase out Russian fossil fuels. File photo: Reuters

Published: 6:35am, 6 May 2025Updated: 1:40pm, 6 May 2025

The European Union is set to propose measures to ban Russian gas imports by the end of 2027, as the bloc pushes to sever ties with the country that was once its biggest energy supplier.

The EU is moving ahead with a long-held intention to phase out Russian fossil fuels, after earlier this year delaying the release of its “road map” to assess the impact of US efforts to end the war in Ukraine, according to people familiar with the matter.

Russian gas flows to Europe dropped sharply in the wake of Moscow’s full invasion in 2022, but it remains a substantial supplier, through a pipeline via Turkey and shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The EU plans to propose in June a ban on all gas purchases under new deals with Russia and existing spot contracts, which account for about a third of imports, to take effect before the end of the year, according to the people.

The European Commission, the bloc’s executive branch, will next month also adopt measures to end the remaining imports of Russian pipeline and LNG gas tied up in long-term contracts, but they will require a longer transition until the end of 2027, the people said.

The efforts to end reliance on Russian gas will open the way for US suppliers to send more LNG to Europe, something that US President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for. Costs and security remain a focus in the wake of the energy crisis, but the EU expects its plan will have a limited effect on prices as a wave of new LNG supply hits the global market in coming years, the people said.