In 2028, six years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent decision by Gazprom to shut down its Nord Stream 1 pipeline, the European Union (EU) is finally expected to live without Russian gas. On Monday, October 20, European energy ministers agreed to ban its importation into the Old Continent starting January 1 of that year.
The Twenty-Seven must now seek a compromise with the European Parliament, which finalized its position on October 16 and, for its part, wants to cut all ties with the Russian gas giant Gazprom as early as January 1, 2027. The negotiations between the European co-legislators are expected to conclude by the end of the year, hopes Denmark, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council.
“We will stop financing the Russian war machine,” the Danish energy minister welcomed on Monday, October 20. “We are sending a very clear message today: We will no longer allow Russia to use energy as a weapon,” added the European Commissioner for Energy, for whom the Europeans’ decision is “historic.”