EU to end Russia gas imports by Jan 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.

- REUTERS

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 EU wants to phase out Russian energy imports to deprive the Kremlin of revenues to fund its war in Ukraine.

Russia currently accounts for 12 per cent of EU gas imports, down from 45 per cent before its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with Hungary, France and Belgium among the countries still receiving Russian gas.