EU energy chief vows ban on all Russian gas imports by 2028 | DW News

All Russian gas imports will be banned in the European Union by the end of 2027 under new draft laws laid out by the bloc’s executive on Tuesday. "We can no longer keep letting ourselves being blackmailed, letting ourselves be subject to Putin weaponizing energy," EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen told DW.

The EU has been struggling to kick its Russian gas habit since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian imports made up 19% of EU gas supplies in 2024 — down from 45% before the war. But Kyiv complains these remaining purchases help Moscow fund its attacks on Ukraine.

Under the new draft rules, all new gas import contracts will be gradually phased out. Unlike past sanctions on Russian coal and oil, the European Commission is using trade policy to enact the new restrictions. This bypasses the bloc's unanimity rules and means Hungary and Slovakia will not be able to veto the new plans, despite their opposition. The two landlocked states argue the measures will threaten energy security and lead to price spikes, something the EU's executive refutes.

The draft laws still require approval from EU lawmakers and a weighted majority of national governments.

Jorgensen said the bloc would not consider lifting the ban in the event of a peace deal in Ukraine.

"It's not very rational or sustainable to be dependent on any country on the planet, and certainly not if that country is your enemy," he told DW.

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