EU Accelerates Timeline to Ban Russian LNG Imports Amid New Sanctions Efforts

On Friday, the European Union announced plans to expedite the ban on Russian natural gas imports as part of a new round of sanctions aimed at diminishing the Kremlin’s capacity to carry on its conflict in Ukraine.

According to the proposal, the EU intends to eliminate all purchases of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) by January 2027, which is a year earlier than the previous timeline.

«The revenues from fossil fuels are the backbone of Russia’s war economy, and we aim to reduce these incomes,» stated Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission. «Thus, we are prohibiting the import of Russian LNG into EU markets. It is high time to turn the faucet off.»

This proposal marks the 19th set of sanctions that the EU has put forth since Russia commenced its full-scale invasion in 2022.

While the European Commission did not unveil any new measures concerning Russian oil, which has largely been phased out already, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas asserted that the earlier deadline for LNG imports would demonstrate to Moscow that there are consequences for its ongoing aggression.

Despite efforts to eliminate decades of dependence on Russian gas, approximately 19% of the bloc’s gas supply was still sourced from Russia in 2024, a significant decrease from 45% prior to the major invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. has emerged as the leading supplier of LNG to Europe, accounting for nearly half of its imports.

Hungary and Slovakia remain the only nations in the EU still purchasing Russian oil.

The 19th sanctions package will now be submitted to the 27 member states for their approval.