BRUSSELS, Sept 19 (Reuters) – The European Union is preparing to ban imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) into the bloc a year earlier than initially planned, as part of its upcoming 19th package of sanctions against Moscow, EU officials said on Friday. The decision follows intensified pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly urged Europe to accelerate its phase-out of Russian energy.
“The revenues from fossil fuels sustain Russia's war economy. We want to cut these revenues,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, unveiling the proposal. “So we are banning imports of Russian LNG into European markets. It is time to turn off the tap.”
The new sanctions package, which requires unanimous approval from all 27 EU governments, is expected to trigger tough negotiations, as Russia-friendly states such as Hungary and Slovakia have delayed previous measures before compromise deals were reached.
LNG Phase-Out Brought Forward
The bloc had previously planned to end Russian LNG imports by January 1, 2028, but the timeline has now been brought forward to January 1, 2027.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas confirmed the accelerated timeline in a post on X, stressing the need to “speed up the phase-out of Russian liquefied natural gas.”
Officials say the move became a “priority” after von der Leyen’s call with Trump earlier this week, reflecting Washington’s growing pressure on Europe to reduce Moscow’s revenues faster and assume more of the financial burden in supporting Ukraine’s defense.
Wider Sanctions Target ‘Shadow Fleet’ and Crypto
Beyond LNG, the proposed sanctions also aim to strike at Russia’s shadow tanker fleet, cryptocurrency networks, and trade loopholes exploited by Moscow.
According to EU officials, the package will include measures against:
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Russian and Central Asian banks,
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Chinese refineries and petrochemical firms,
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Special economic zones used for customs evasion and import of dual-use goods for military purposes.
“We are now going after those who fuel Russia's war, who purchase oil in breach of sanctions,” von der Leyen said. “We target refineries, oil traders, and petrochemical companies in third countries, including China.”
Moscow’s Reaction and Market Impact
The Kremlin dismissed the move, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov insisting that an earlier EU phase-out “would not affect Russia” or alter its stance on Ukraine.
However, energy analysts warn that the accelerated timeline could force the EU to increase LNG purchases from the United States, raising concerns over greater dependency on Washington at a time when Trump is leveraging trade tariffs as a geopolitical tool.
“Trump’s pressure on Europe to move faster on banning Russian energy imports seems to have worked,” said Simone Tagliapietra, senior fellow at Bruegel. “Advancing the ban to 2027 means Europe must quickly prepare alternatives – and U.S. supplies are of course at the top of the list.”
Russian LNG accounted for 14% of EU imports in Q2 2025, down from 22% in early 2021, according to Eurostat. The bulk of these imports go to Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France, while pipeline gas via TurkStream still reaches Slovakia, Hungary, and Bulgaria.
Even industry leaders acknowledge the need for a transition. Patrick Pouyanné, CEO of TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA), said last week:
“Russian gas is needed until the end of 2027, then we can exit from that because we can source it from other places without impact on the price.”
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