EU agrees to stop importing Russian gas

VTV.vn - EC President Ursula von der Leyen said that this agreement opens a new era, an era in which Europe completely ends its dependence on Russian energy.

Panoramic view of Russia's Bovanenkovo ​​gas pumping station on the Yamal Peninsula in the Arctic. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

The European Union (EU) agreed on December 3 to completely stop importing Russian gas by the end of 2027, in an effort to end the bloc's decades-long dependence on Russian energy.

Representatives of EU member states ' governments and the European Parliament reached an agreement early on December 3 on proposals put forward by the European Commission (EC) to end gas imports from the EU's former top supplier, after the conflict in Ukraine, by June 2025 by 2022.

EC President Ursula von der Leyen said the deal opens a new era, one in which Europe will completely end its dependence on Russian energy. Meanwhile, EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen said Europe has turned off the tap on Russian gas for good, choosing independence and energy security.

Under the agreement, imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) will be phased out by the end of 2026 and gas transported via pipeline will cease by the end of September 2027. For short-term contracts signed before June 17 this year, the ban will take effect from April 25, 2026 for LNG and from June 17, 2026 for pipeline gas. For long-term contracts signed before June 17, the expiry date will be early 2027 for LNG and September 30, 2027 for pipeline gas, provided that sufficient reserves are available, and no later than November 1, 2027.

The EC also committed to gradually stop importing oil from Russia by the end of 2027, with a legislative proposal to be presented early next year. The agreement also calls for the EC to draft a plan in the coming months to end imports of Russian oil by Hungary and Slovakia by the end of 2027. The EU had already moved to cut imports of Russian oil by 2022 but exempted the two landlocked countries.

Under the agreement, EU member states will submit plans to diversify their oil and gas supplies to the EC by March 1, 2026, and will have to notify the EU executive about any Russian gas supply contracts or national bans.

Russia accounted for 12% of EU gas imports by October 2025, down from 45% before the conflict in Ukraine. But while Europe has cut back on pipeline imports, it has shifted some to LNG shipped by sea, unloaded at ports and put back on the grid.

Russian LNG imports into the EU are still expected to stand at 15 billion euros ($17.5 billion) this year.

Source: https://vtv.vn/eu-nhat-tri-ngung-nhap-khau-khi-dot-cua-nga-100251203194038178.htm