RUSSIA – Russian fossil fuel exports to the European Union could face a ban by 2027, as revealed by the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen.
Ursula von der Leyen announced on Wednesday plans to fully phase out Russian fossil fuel imports by the end of 2027, as part of a broader push to weaken Russia’s war machine and bolster European energy security.
Speaking to the European Parliament in Strasbourg during a commemorative session marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, von der Leyen said fossil fuel revenues remain a “key source of funding” for Russia’s military operations in Ukraine.
“At the beginning of the war, we spent €12 billion per month on Russian fossil fuels. Today, we’re down to €1.8 billion,” she said, adding that a final push is needed to end Europe’s energy dependence on Moscow.
“The era of Russian fossil fuels in Europe is coming to an end,” she added.
Von der Leyen outlined a series of measures included in a new roadmap presented by the Commission, including a ban on all new contracts with Russia and an end to spot market imports by the end of 2025.
She said the EU would also move to prohibit remaining imports of pipeline and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia by the end of 2027.
She praised the EU’s progress in diversifying energy sources, citing a tenfold reduction in Russian oil imports and a sharp drop in gas dependency, from 45% to 13%.
The European Commission president also thanked global partners, including the US, Norway, Japan, and South Korea, for helping the bloc manage the energy crisis that followed the Russia-Ukraine war.
Von der Leyen warned against calls to reopen Russian energy taps, describing such a move as “a mistake of historic dimensions.”
Alongside energy policy, she set out three key priorities for the EU’s approach to the ongoing war in Ukraine: boosting military support, cutting energy ties with Russia, and accelerating Ukraine’s path toward EU membership.
Calling Russia a “permanent threat” to Europe, she emphasized the need to strengthen Ukraine’s defense industry, including through direct EU orders to Ukrainian manufacturers.
On Ukraine’s EU accession, von der Leyen said integration into the bloc would be “the strongest security guarantee” for Kyiv.
She added that the EU is working to open the first clusters of accession talks and aims to open all by 2025.
Russian Response to EU Sanctions
Russian side have criticized the EU plan as illegal and said it’ll find a way around it.
Talking to reporters, the Russian Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilyov said that they (EU) “have been trying to do this for a long time, but we find a way to sell our products. They are in demand in the world, there are many consumers who want to buy them.”
He added that Russia believes that “the measures they are using in the form of sanctions are illegal and counterproductive, including for the residents of these countries. We are already seeing the consequences.”
Commenting on whether the EU can fully enact a total ban of Russian oil, he said that “it is quite possible that they will implement their statements, but we will find a way to supply our products to those who are interested in them, and the demand for our products is great. Not only for gas, oil and oil products.”
