European Union ministers have greenlit a strategy to gradually eliminate gas imports from Russia by early 2028. This decision comes amid criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has argued that the EU is essentially funding both sides in the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
During a meeting in Luxembourg on Monday, energy ministers from EU member states voted to prohibit new gas contracts with Russia starting January 2026, while also planning to end existing long-term contracts by early 2028.
A report presented to the council indicated that, despite efforts post-2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russian gas still made up roughly 13% of EU imports in 2025, amounting to about 15 billion euros (around $17.5 billion).
“This situation poses significant risks to trade and energy security within the EU,” the Council recognized.
Danish Energy Minister Lars Aagaard commented, “A Europe that is energy-independent is a stronger and more secure Europe. We’ve made considerable efforts to keep Russian gas and oil out, but there’s still more to do.”
“So it’s essential for the Danish presidency to secure overwhelming support from European energy ministers for legislation that ultimately halts the flow of Russian gas into the EU.”
The plan still requires the go-ahead from the European Parliament, which previously voted against it, despite pushback from Hungary and Slovakia. Reports suggest that these countries may receive exceptions to continue importing Russian gas for two more years, citing challenges accessing marine ports.
This initiative from the Security Council follows a recent statement from President Trump at the United Nations, where he claimed European allies were inadvertently financing a war against themselves by purchasing Russian energy.
“Who even decided that was a good idea?” Trump reportedly quipped during his speech.
Indeed, estimates by the Center for Energy and Clean Air Research (CREA) indicate that European nations spent over $3 billion more on Russian energy in 2024 than what they allocated for Ukraine’s war efforts.
Trump has consistently criticized Europe’s reliance on Russian energy, famously warning in 2018 that Germany’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline would turn Berlin into a “captive” of President Vladimir Putin.
However, those warnings were generally overlooked, even prompting laughter from German diplomats when the president reiterated them at the U.N. later that same year.
Still, the EU’s apparent determination to lessen its reliance on Russian energy could lead to greater dependence on U.S. liquid natural gas (LNG), which aligns with a key geopolitical aim of the Trump administration. As part of a significant EU-U.S. trade agreement negotiated earlier this year, Brussels committed to purchase $750 billion in U.S. energy.
