EU ends imports of Russian pipeline gas under short-term contracts

The European Union has officially enforced a ban on imports of Russian pipeline gas under short-term contracts, effective Wednesday, June 17, TASS reports.

On January 26, the Council of the European Union approved a decision to fully ban imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) into the EU from January 1, 2027, and pipeline gas from September 30, 2027. The ban on LNG imports under short-term contracts took effect on April 25, 2026, while short-term pipeline gas contracts were required to be terminated by June 17, 2026.

According to Eurostat data and TASS calculations, Russia ranked fourth in the EU’s overall gas import value in April, after the United States, Norway, and Algeria, with a 15.8% share. In total, the EU purchased €1.28 billion worth of gas from Russia in April.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously said that, given the EU’s intention to fully phase out Russian gas, Russia could itself initiate an early exit from the European market and redirect supplies to other, more interested buyers.

By Jeyhun Aghazada