The European Commission has confirmed plans to completely halt imports of Russian oil into European Union countries. According to Dan Jørgensen, European Commissioner for Energy and Housing, a legislative proposal to ban the remaining oil supplies from Russia, mainly via pipelines, will be introduced in early 2026.
Sea deliveries of Russian oil to the EU were banned back in 2023 as part of previously imposed sanctions. The remaining imports mainly concern pipeline deliveries to several countries, including Hungary and Slovakia. A complete ban is planned to be introduced as soon as possible, but no later than the end of 2027.
This decision is part of a broader EU strategy to move away from Russian energy sources. Earlier, on December 3, 2025, the EU reached an agreement to completely stop importing Russian gas: the ban on spot LNG deliveries will come into force in early 2026, and on pipeline gas in autumn 2027.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called these measures a “historic step” toward Europe’s complete energy independence from Russia. “We are permanently ending imports of Russian gas and oil, depriving the Kremlin of the means to finance the war,” she emphasized.
The measures have sparked protests from Hungary and Slovakia, which depend on Russian supplies and are preparing legal action against the EU. At the same time, there are parallel discussions about tightening G7 and EU sanctions on maritime transport of Russian oil to third countries — possibly replacing the “price cap” with a complete ban on Western tanker services.
Experts note that Russian oil imports to the EU have already fallen to less than 3% of the total volume, and gas imports to 13%. A complete rejection will allow Europe to switch entirely to alternative sources, including LNG from the US and Norway, as well as renewable energy sources.