Europe is moving forward: new steps toward phasing out Russian oil
8 April 13:02
The European Union continues to work on a strategy to phase out Russian oil.
This was reported by European Commission spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen in response to a question from Suspilne, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
“I can confirm that we aim to gradually phase out all Russian energy from the European market. We have already taken steps toward this. We already have legislation regarding Russian gas and LNG. We also aim to extend these phase-out rules to oil and nuclear energy,” she said.
According to the spokesperson, work on the proposals is ongoing.
“I cannot give you a date when these proposals, particularly regarding the phasing out of oil, will be ready. I don’t yet know when that will happen. Work is ongoing. There is a political commitment within this commission to carry this out, and it will happen, and we will keep you informed when we present this legislation,” Itkonen said.
On April 4, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó stated that Brussels is preparing to ban Russian oil imports from Europe on April 15. He called the ban a self-defeating initiative that could lead to fuel prices in Hungary rising to approximately 1,000 forints per liter.
On March 24, Itkonen reported that the European Commission had removed from its April 15 agenda the item regarding the presentation of a proposal to phase out Russian oil imports by the end of 2027.
What is known about the EU’s plans to phase out gas imports from Russia
In May 2022, the European Commission presented the REPowerEU plan. Its goal is to end EU imports of Russian oil and gas by 2027.
Among the measures are diversifying oil and gas supplies from other importing countries and developing a “joint procurement mechanism” that will negotiate and sign contracts for gas purchases on behalf of participating member states.
Slovakia and Hungary opposed the plan. In July 2025, Slovakia blocked the adoption of the 18th package of EU sanctions against Russia due to the REPowerEU plan. Slovakia believes that the measures under REPowerEU “threaten” the country’s economy and energy security.
On December 3, the European Union and the European Parliament reached a preliminary political agreement on a regulation that provides for a phased ban on imports of Russian natural gas—both pipeline and liquefied (LNG). The document is a key element of the REPowerEU roadmap. It also provides for a gradual phase-out of oil from Russia.
On December 10, the permanent representatives of the European Union member states agreed on the final compromise text of the REPowerEU regulation. The document provides for a complete legal ban on Russian gas imports, which is set to take effect on September 30, 2027.
