US EditionEU Ambassadors Approve Plan to Phase Out Russian Gas, Oil by 2028, Reuters Reports
EU ambassadors agreed to advance a plan requiring Hungary and Slovakia to end Russian oil and gas imports by 2028 to cut Kremlin war funding.
- On Wednesday, European Union ambassadors agreed to advance the law, clearing its first political hurdle and forwarding the draft to EU ministers for an October 20 vote.
- A staged timetable underpins the phase-out, ending new Russian gas contracts from January 2026, short-term deals by June 2026 and long-term ones in January 2028 to cut Kremlin war revenues.
- The law would oblige Hungary and Slovakia to submit national plans to halt Russian oil imports, as they remain the two countries still importing Russian oil, while Russian gas now supplies 12% of EU gas imports, down from 45% before 2022.
- For the measure to pass, it must secure a qualified majority of at least 55% of member states and 65% of the EU population, testing unity amid resistance from Budapest and Bratislava.
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has linked the plan to expanded U.S. energy purchases, with accelerated LNG sanctions proposed for January 2027 and more than 1,000 in U.S. energy purchases in the coming years.
13 Articles
13 Articles
The Kremlin is deprived of a key source of funding for war.
EU's plan to phase out Russian energy clears first political hurdle
European Union countries' ambassadors on Wednesday agreed to move ahead with the bloc's plan to end Russian oil and gas imports by 2028, EU diplomats said, clearing the law's first political hurdle before governments vote on it later this month.
Moscow might lose its access to the EU gas market as Turkey also chooses to decline Russian energy resources.
On October 8, EU ambassadors approved a plan to prohibit imports of Russian gas and oil beginning in 2028, despite opposition from Slovakia and Hungary. The plan was forwarded to ministers for a vote, which is scheduled for October 20. Most countries in the EU support ending Russian energy supplies, making final approval likely straightforward. Unlike votes on sanctions, this vote requires only a qualified majority to pass. The decision enforces…
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