Amman, Jan. 26 (Petra)- European Union countries have formally approved a ban on importing Russian gas by the end of 2027, a move that makes their pledge to cut ties with their former largest energy supplier legally binding.

According to Reuters, EU ministers adopted the law during a meeting in Brussels on Monday, despite Slovakia and Hungary voting against it, while Bulgaria abstained.

Hungary said it would challenge the law before the European Court of Justice.

The ban can be passed with the support of 72% of member states, allowing it to overcome opposition from Hungary and Slovakia, which still rely heavily on Russian energy imports.

Under the agreement, the European Union will stop importing Russian liquefied natural gas by the end of 2026, and pipeline gas by Sept. 30, 2027. The law allows the deadline to be extended to Nov. 1, 2027, at the latest, if a country faces difficulties filling its storage facilities with non-Russian gas before winter.

//Petra// AF

26/01/2026 21:32:10