During its October plenary session, the European Parliament approved a plan to completely ban imports of natural gas from Russia. The EU Council also agreed on a negotiating position on the measure. Lawmakers described the decision as a crucial and long-awaited political step to end the financing of Russia’s war economy. However, some voices remain skeptical, calling the sanctions ineffective and largely symbolic.
“The ban on importing Russian gas into the European Union from the beginning of 2028 is already decided. That means Hungarian and Slovak companies collaborating with Putin’s regime will have to halt deliveries. Every euro flowing into Russia is used to fund Putin’s war machine — and this must stop,” said Michał Szczerba, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Poland’s Civic Coalition and the European People’s Party, in an interview with Newseria.
“Only two countries are left — Slovakia and Hungary — and I think they will eventually comply. But it took a long time because of the complex web of connections, not just in energy supplies but also in business relations, which prolonged the process,” added Mirosława Nykiel, another MEP from the Civic Coalition.
At its October session, the European Parliament endorsed the start of talks with the Danish Presidency of the EU Council on introducing a ban on Russian gas and oil imports. EU energy ministers also adopted a negotiating mandate for phasing out Russian natural gas imports, which will serve as the basis for talks with Parliament.
According to Poland’s Ministry of Energy, the full ban is expected to take effect in 2028, with implementation carried out in three stages:
- Phase one – prohibition on signing new contracts;
- Phase two – cessation of deliveries under short-term contracts;
- Phase three – termination of supplies under long-term agreements.
The regulation will cover both pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG). The former currently flows mainly to Hungary and Slovakia, while LNG shipments from Russia are received primarily by France and Belgium.
“It’s essential to close all loopholes — for instance, situations where gas or oil reach us in a different form through intermediary countries. Experts are already working on it and know how to seal these gaps. What’s needed now is a clear political decision — and we already have consensus on that,” said Mirosława Nykiel.
“We can easily change supply sources — we have access to American LNG and Norwegian gas. These are realistic alternatives for countries wanting to free themselves from dependence on Putin. Germany is cutting Russian supplies entirely under Chancellor Merz, correcting the strategic mistakes made during Angela Merkel’s time. This is a clear, consistent, and pro-European stance,” added Michał Szczerba.
Yet, not all MEPs share this optimism.
“I believe full independence from Russian resources is possible, but the question is whether Europe truly wants it,” argued Daniel Obajtek, MEP representing Law and Justice (PiS). “Sanctions mainly affect poorer EU countries, while richer ones continue to cooperate with Russia indirectly. Belgium, France, and Spain have increased imports of Russian LNG by 100 percent — where did this gas go? Through pipelines and interconnectors in Germany. Now they talk about a 2026 or 2027 ban, but in reality, no sanctions are being enforced. We’re just giving Russia time to prepare.”
According to European Commission data based on ENTSO-G and LSEG, in 2024 the EU’s largest gas supplier was Norway, delivering 91.1 billion cubic meters (33.4% of total imports). Russia provided 51.6 billion cubic meters (19% of total EU gas imports), combining both pipeline and LNG deliveries — ranking second after Norway.
Data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) show that in 2023, the EU paid nearly €22 billion for Russian fossil fuels. A CREA report published in September found that the EU was the fourth-largest buyer of Russian fossil fuels, accounting for 8% of Russia’s export revenues — 70% from gas (pipeline and LNG) and 29% from crude oil.
“China imports 58% of its oil from Russia, India almost 70%, around 20% of its gas, and 15% of its coal. Then comes Turkey, and Europe ranks fourth. In 2024, the EU bought only 1% less volume from Russia than before — so what sanctions are we talking about?” Obajtek asked. “Each new sanctions package is mostly for show. It’s been more than three years since the war in Ukraine began, and nothing has changed. Russia is growing stronger, and so are China and Turkey, which cooperate with it very effectively. Russian oil and gas are much cheaper, so whose economies are benefiting? The Turkish, Chinese, and Indian ones.”
He added that Russia and its trading partners have become adept at circumventing sanctions, citing the activities of the so-called shadow fleet as an example.
“Even if states officially cut off Russian supplies, their companies will continue trading through paperwork swaps — the gas and oil will still be Russian. You’ll see — within a year and a half, gas will again flow through Nord Stream 1 and 2, maybe under a different label, like Kazakh gas, but it will still be Russian. Germany hasn’t stopped building interconnectors and gas networks — they’re preparing to become Europe’s gas hub, importing at prices much lower than official Russian rates,” Obajtek said.
The MEP argued that the only effective measure to limit Russian energy imports is the introduction of high tariffs.
“Russia is already diversifying its export markets — increasing deliveries to China, India, and Turkey, strengthening cooperation with Iran, building shadow fleets, and expanding its logistics capacity. The most honest solution is to impose appropriate tariffs. Goods from third countries should also be subject to duties. The tariff should reflect the difference between oil prices and the costs imposed by the Green Deal — only then will we truly be competitive,” Obajtek concluded.
