The EU proposed Friday to speed up its ban on Russian natural gas imports, part of a new sanctions package aimed at weakening the Kremlin’s ability to continue with its war against Ukraine.
Under the plan, the bloc would phase out purchases of Russian liquefied natural gas, or LNG, by January 2027 — a year earlier than initially scheduled.
“Russia’s war economy is sustained by revenues from fossil fuels. We want to cut these revenues,” European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said. “So we are banning imports of Russian LNG into European markets. It is time to turn off the tap.”
The proposal is the 19th sanctions package the bloc has introduced since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
The European Commission did not announce any new restrictions on Russian oil, which has already been largely phased out. However, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the earlier end date for LNG would show Moscow it “pays the price” for continuing the war.
Despite a push to end decades of reliance on Russian gas, around 19% of the bloc's gas still came from Russia in 2024, down from 45% before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. has since become the dominant LNG supplier to Europe, providing nearly half of imports.
Hungary and Slovakia remain the only member states still importing Russian oil.
The 19th sanctions package now goes to the 27 member states for approval.
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