EU agrees to gradually end Russian gas imports by January 1, 2028

EU energy ministers on Monday backed a proposal to phase out Russian oil and gas imports to the bloc by January 2028, the Council of the European Union said.

The ministers approved the plans, which would phase out new Russian gas import contracts from January 2026, existing short-term contracts from June 2026, and long-term contracts in January 2028, at a meeting in Luxembourg.

The law is not yet final. EU countries must negotiate the final rules with the European Parliament, which is still debating its position.

The European Commission designed the proposals to be able to pass despite past opposition from Hungary and Slovakia, the two countries that still import Russian oil.

It needed backing from a “qualified majority” of EU member states – meaning at least 55% – so one or two nations alone could not block it.

The text approved on Monday allowed specific flexibilities for landlocked member states, which include Hungary and Slovakia.

Separately, the EU is negotiating a new package of sanctions against Russia that would ban LNG imports one year earlier, from January 2027.

The EU’s Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas said earlier on Monday the new sanctions package could be approved as early as this week.