EUs Bold Strategy: Complete Elimination of Russian Gas by 2027

On Tuesday, Brussels unveiled a long-awaited strategy aimed at phasing out its remaining gas imports from Russia by the end of 2027, a significant hurdle considering Europe’s ongoing reliance on Russian fossil fuels.

«Today, the European Union delivers a strong message to Russia: we will no longer allow Russia to use energy as a weapon against us,» stated EU energy chief Dan Jorgensen while outlining the new measures.

The European Commission’s two-phase approach will terminate new contracts and existing short-term agreements with Russian suppliers by the end of 2025. All remaining imports are set to be banned by the close of 2027.

«We will no longer tolerate our member states being held hostage. We refuse to indirectly support the Kremlin’s war efforts any longer,» Jorgensen declared at a press briefing.

In response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU imposed a ban on Russian oil in late 2022 and has since aimed to reduce its dependence on Russian gas.

While pipeline imports have plummeted, some European nations have ramped up their purchases of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) transported by sea, prompting the EU to seek a complete halt to these imports.

According to EU statistics, Russia still accounts for 17% of the bloc’s gas, while the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) estimates this figure could be as high as 19%.

To eliminate reliance on Russian energy, «the key strategy is diversification,» remarked Paula Pinho, chief spokesperson for the European Commission, last week.

The move to discontinue Russian supplies is expected to facilitate increased LNG purchases from the United States, a strategy proposed by both Brussels and Donald Trump to address the tensions arising from U.S. tariffs on European exports.

EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic told the Financial Times that issues with Washington could be settled «very quickly» by increasing LNG and soybean imports, thereby reducing the trade surplus of the 27-member bloc with its American counterpart.

The United States has already become the largest supplier of LNG to the EU, comprising 45.3% of the market.

European officials recognize that the withdrawal from Russian energy is complex, as some member states rely more heavily on Russian LNG than others, with countries like Hungary maintaining relatively amicable relationships with the Kremlin.

For instance, France would experience a more significant impact from decreasing Russian LNG imports, as it hosts five terminals dedicated to this supply in Europe.

Between 2023 and 2024, France’s imports of Russian LNG surged by 81%, resulting in an income of 2.68 billion euros ($3 billion) for Russia, according to IEEFA.

The commission’s proposal, which requires approval from EU member states, was postponed as Brussels awaited the outcome of negotiations between Russia and the United States concerning the Ukraine conflict.

Since Russia’s 2022 invasion, the EU has underscored its commitment to reducing dependence on Russian fossil fuels.

In just a few years, «we reduced our gas imports from Russia from 45% to 18%. Our oil imports dropped from one in five barrels to one in fifty—a tenfold decrease,» stated EU chief Ursula von der Leyen last month.

However, she acknowledged, «we all recognize that much more remains to be accomplished.»