The European Commission plans to ban liquefied natural gas terminals in the EU from providing services to Russian companies starting January 1 2026. A transition period has been established for existing short-term contracts until June 17 2026, with long-term contracts required to be terminated by December 31 2027. This is part of Brussels’ broader strategy to completely phase out Russian gas by the end of 2027.
Additionally, the EC proposes a ban on new gas contracts with Russia by year’s end. To oversee the implementation of the ban, European importing companies will need to report the country of origin of imported LNG, along with details of their contracts – duration, volumes, etc.
In response, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto stated that his country and Slovakia would oppose the EU’s decision to forgo purchasing Russian energy resources, calling it a “severe violation of our sovereignty.”
From the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine through March 2025, the EU imported €32.7B worth of LNG from Russia and €95.1B worth of LNG from the US.