The European Union has reached a deal to finish all Russian fuel imports by November 2027.
The “provisional settlement” between the European Council – the grouping of the 27 governments of the bloc’s member states – and the European Parliament was introduced on Wednesday.
Though the deadline is later than that sought by the parliament and a few member states, the deal progresses efforts to finish all power imports into the bloc from Russia, which proceed to supply Moscow with very important financing to energy its struggle on Ukraine.
Below the deal, member states will halt imports of Russian liquefied pure fuel (LNG) by the tip of 2026. Pipeline fuel imports will cease by November 2027.
The trouble to halt purchases has struggled over the past 4 years because of the deep dependence of many member states on Russian power. The bloc’s total reliance was near 50 % earlier than Moscow unleashed its full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.
The transfer goals “to finish dependency on Russian power following Russia’s weaponisation of fuel provides with vital results on the European power market”, mentioned a European Council assertion.
Welcoming the announcement, European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen mentioned: “Europe is closing the faucet on Russian fossil fuels as soon as and for all. Vitality independence begins now.”
‘No extra blackmail’
EU leaders celebrated information of the long-sought deal to lastly halt Russian fuel imports, which required a compromise between the member states and the European Parliament over the date of the cut-off.
Vitality Commissioner Dan Jorgensen mentioned, “We’ve chosen power safety and independence for Europe. No extra blackmail. No extra market manipulation by Putin. We stand sturdy with Ukraine.”
Europe will cease importing Russian fuel earlier than finish 2027. @Europarl_EN & @EUCouncil agreed on our proposed import ban.
We’re sending a transparent message to Russia: Europe won’t ever once more let its power provide be used as a weapon.
Europe is now on the pathway for independence.
— Dan Jørgensen (@DanJoergensen) December 3, 2025
Below the deal, long-term pipeline contracts shall be banned from September 30, 2027, supplied storage ranges are enough, and no later than November 1, 2027. Brief-term contracts shall be outlawed by June 17, 2026.
Lengthy-term contracts on LNG shall be prohibited from January 1, 2027, with short-term contracts phased out from April 25, 2026.
The timelines are but to earn last approval from the European Parliament and the European Council.
European firms will be capable to invoke “drive majeure” to legally justify breaking current contracts, citing the EU import ban.
Political obstacles
For now, the EU nonetheless is determined by large quantities of Russian gas, with altering suppliers extra logistically difficult than for oil, on which most member states have managed to modify.
The share of Russian fuel in EU imports fell from 45 % in 2021, however remained at 19 % final 12 months.
Whereas Europe has slashed pipeline deliveries, Russia stays a key provider of LNG, accounting for 20 % of imports in 2024 – or about 20 billion cubic metres out of roughly 100bcm – leaving it solely behind the US (45 %).
Nevertheless, there have additionally been political obstacles.
Hungary and Slovakia, that are diplomatically nearer to Moscow and import probably the most Russian power, have lengthy opposed sanctions on Russian energy and have difficult EU efforts to cross them.
The deal additionally calls on the European Fee to draft a plan within the coming months to finish the sanctions loopholes that permit the 2 landlocked Central European nations to proceed shopping for Russian oil.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban thumbed his nostril at Brussels final month by deciding to maintain importing Russian hydrocarbons throughout a gathering with President Vladimir Putin.
