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EU seals deal to end Russian gas imports by 2027 — but exemptions expose deep divisions

The European Union has approved a landmark ban on Russian pipeline gas and LNG by 2027, marking the bloc’s most decisive rupture yet with Moscow’s energy system. But the final deal also grants emergency exemptions to Hungary and Slovakia — a political concession that risks triggering legal challenges from both governments.

The agreement, reached late Tuesday between the European Parliament and EU governments, puts an end date on all Russian gas entering Europe:
— LNG banned from mid-2027
— Pipeline gas banned from late-2027, with a possible extension to 1 November depending on storage levels.

Short-term contracts signed before June 2025 will face earlier cut-offs, while long-term LNG contracts may continue until January 2027.

A strategic break two years in the making

Europe's dependence on Russian gas has collapsed from 45% before the invasion of Ukraine to 13% in 2025, but remaining imports still totaled €10 billion last year — revenue Brussels says contributes directly to the Kremlin's war machine.

Belgium, France and Spain have continued to import Russian LNG via transshipment hubs, intensifying political pressure to close the remaining loopholes.

Landlocked states win a safety valve

While most EU countries backed the full ban, several landlocked states warned they would face disproportionate energy risks and price spikes. The Parliament initially opposed exemptions — but ultimately conceded.

An emergency suspension clause was added:
A member state may access Russian gas only if it declares an "energy emergency" and storage levels fall below 90% by 1 November.

Diplomats argue it is deliberately restrictive. "Even during the 2022 energy crisis, no country triggered an emergency," one EU official noted.

Budapest and Bratislava threaten backlash

Hungary and Slovakia — the bloc's most Russia-aligned governments — immediately signaled they may challenge the law.

Hungarian foreign minister Péter Szijjártó dismissed the agreement as a "Brussels diktat" and claimed it violates EU treaties. Slovakia is in discussions with Budapest about coordinated action.

Both countries remain heavily tied to Russian pipeline infrastructure and have repeatedly opposed measures that could anger the Kremlin.

A phaseout with geopolitical teeth

The law also bans imports through the TurkStream pipeline unless companies can prove the gas originated outside Russia or Belarus.

Member states must now prepare national diversification plans by March 2026 outlining how they will eliminate Russian oil and gas entirely.

Brussels declares the ‘end of an era'

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed the deal as the final chapter in Europe's decades-long reliance on Russian gas.

"We are stopping these imports permanently," she said. "By depleting Putin's war chest, we stand in solidarity with Ukraine."

Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen was even more direct:
"We will never go back to energy blackmail."

Final approval expected in December

EU energy ministers are set to vote on 15 December, followed by a plenary vote in Parliament. With months of deadlock now broken, officials expect the law to pass.