European Commission to Present Russian Fuel Phase Out Plan by May 6

The European Commission will present its long delayed strategy to end reliance on Russian oil and gas on 6 May 2025, officials confirmed this week. The plan is part of the European Union’s pledge to fully abandon Russian fossil fuels by 2027 in response to the Kremlin’s full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The publication of the strategy has already been postponed twice. Sources in Brussels say the delays have been caused by growing uncertainty around US president Donald Trump’s future trade policies and his use of energy as a bargaining tool. Trump has hinted that Europe may have to pay more for American energy, which could affect the EU’s broader energy and trade strategy.

Although pipeline gas imports from Russia have dropped since 2022, the EU has increased its purchases of Russian liquefied natural gas, or LNG. In 2024, Russian gas and LNG still made up 19 percent of all EU gas imports. The EU has not sanctioned Russian gas imports, unlike Russian oil, which has been more heavily restricted. Countries like Hungary have threatened to veto any additional sanctions on Russian energy.

The European Commission has not clarified what concrete steps will be in the new plan, but Brussels think tank Bruegel has suggested tariffs on Russian gas could be introduced. Such tariffs would act as a financial deterrent to reduce dependency and make Russian imports less economically attractive.

Hungary remains a significant obstacle in the EU’s efforts, repeatedly opposing tougher energy sanctions and resisting military support plans for Ukraine. Meanwhile, several other EU member states are hesitant to back sanctions on Russian LNG without guaranteed alternatives.

One proposed solution is to increase LNG imports from the United States. American LNG was key during the energy crisis of 2022, helping to replace lost Russian supplies. In 2024, the US was the third largest supplier of gas to the EU after Norway and Russia. However, European officials and companies now worry that under Don Trump, this reliance could become a vulnerability. Trump has made it clear that energy exports may be used as leverage in wider trade negotiations, adding fresh instability to an already volatile market.

A complete end to Russian gas would mean significantly more imports from the US, Qatar and other suppliers, which may be more costly and politically complicated. With Trump pressing Europe to pay more and the EU attempting to spend less, energy policy has become a battleground of competing interests.

EU Gas Imports 2024