Europe closes the taps to Russian gas. The Council of the European Union today agreed its negotiating position on the proposed regulation for the gradual elimination of imports of Russian gas and LNG starting from 2026. Only Hungary and Slovakia opposed it.
The gradual stop in three phases: what will happen to existing contracts
A roadmap divided into three phases was identified in Brussels. We will start from 1 January 2026, when it will be forbidden to sign new contracts. The stop for short-term agreements already in progress has been set for 17 June 2026, while long-term contracts may be valid until 1 January 2028. Modifications to existing contracts will only be permitted for strictly defined operational purposes and cannot lead to an increase in volumes, with the exception of some specific flexibilities for landlocked member states affected by recent changes in supply routes.
The opposition of Hungary and Slovakia
The proposed regulation, explains the Council in a note, “constitutes a central element of the EU’s REPowerEU roadmap to end dependence on Russian energy”, following Russia’s use of supplies as a weapon and repeated interruptions of gas supplies to the EU, “with significant effects on the European energy market”.
The proposed regulation requires all Member States to submit national diversification plans outlining measures and potential challenges to the diversification of their gas supplies. And the request to present a national plan to diversify the supply of energy resources from Russia has sparked opposition from Hungary and Slovakia. Both Budapest and Bratislava fear that Brussels’ measure, aimed at hitting one of Moscow’s sources of income to continue its war in Ukraine, will cause damage to their economy and energy security.
Who finances Putin’s war in Ukraine
The strongest criticism comes from the country that will soon host the Putin-Trump summit. “For us, energy supply is about our geographical location and the current physical reality. And the real impact of this regulation is that our security of energy supply in Hungary will be killed,” said Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto.
The EU Council has approved the exemption for member states that can demonstrate that they no longer receive direct or indirect imports of Russian gas. The other countries will instead have to present a national diversification plan to stop imports of Russian oil by January 1, 2028.
The new package of EU sanctions against Moscow: “We anticipate the stop to the import of Russian LNG”
Compared to the Commission’s proposal, the Council has simplified customs obligations, introducing more streamlined procedures for non-Russian gas: information will have to be provided to the competent authorities only before entering the EU customs territory. However, more stringent requirements remain for supplies of Russian gas during the transitional phase, with the obligation to communicate details of the contracts, including duration, volumes and any changes.
“Never again import Russian gas, even after a possible peace in Ukraine”
What was decided today has a different structure than the sanctions. “The heart of our opposition to Russian gas was decided today with REPowerEU, sanctions can be complementary to this measure,” said Denmark’s Minister for Energy and Climate, Lars Aagard, on the sidelines of the Energy Council in Luxembourg. “With this decision, even after a possible peace agreement, the EU will no longer import Russian energy, and it is a very very important signal”, added EU Commissioner Dan Jorgensen. In other words, the EU’s goal is to permanently close the Russian gas taps.
