EU ambassadors approve plan to phase out Russian gas, oil by 2028, Reuters reports
EU ambassadors agreed on a plan to phase out Russian gas and oil by 2028 on Oct. 8, Reuters reports, as Ukraine's Western partners step up efforts to pressure Russia, which continues to fund its war through revenues from oil and gas exports.
European allies began pushing for stricter measures against Russian energy, particularly after former U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sept. 13 that Washington would impose sanctions on Russia if all NATO members halted imports of Russian oil.
The plan to phase out Russian oil and gas by January 2028 has received broad backing from most member states, though Hungary and Slovakia continue to oppose it, a source told Reuters.
Both countries remain heavily reliant on Russian energy and maintain warmer ties with Moscow than many of their EU counterparts.
EU ambassadors have agreed to move the draft legislation forward, paving the way for ministers to vote during a meeting scheduled for Oct. 20.
For the plan to pass, it will need a "qualified majority," meaning support from at least 55% of member states, representing at least 65% of the EU population.
If approved, the law will proceed to negotiations between EU governments and the European Parliament, where the final text will be agreed.
Under the proposal, each member state would be required to develop a national plan to end Russian oil and gas imports by 2028.
One sticking point in the discussions remains the challenge of verifying the origin of liquefied natural gas (LNG). EU countries are still debating how to establish an effective system to ensure that imported LNG does not originate from Russia.
The EU is also in talks over a new sanctions package that would move up the ban on Russian LNG to January 2027, one year earlier.
Ukraine introduced a new wave of sanctions and extended existing measures against Russia’s energy sector, with a particular focus on the oil industry, in early October.
Ukraine plans to intensify efforts over the next month to align its sanctions policy more closely with its Western allies. This push comes as the European Union prepares to adopt its 19th package of sanctions targeting Russia.
The European Commission unveiled on Sept. 19 its latest proposed sanctions, which include further restrictions on Russia’s financial and energy sectors, along with a full ban on imports of Russian LNG.
Alisa Yurchenko
