EU's Strategic Shift: Phasing Out Russian Fossil Fuels

The European Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, plans to present a roadmap to phase out all Russian fossil fuel imports by 2027. This decision stems from Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The roadmap outlines shifting dependencies to U.S. LNG exports and explores new legal avenues.

The European Commission is preparing to unveil a roadmap in two weeks aimed at eliminating all Russian fossil fuel imports by 2027, as announced by President Ursula von der Leyen at an energy event in London.

This initiative responds to the geopolitical tensions following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with imports of Russian gas already reduced from 45% to 18%. The European Union is filling this void with increased liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies from the United States and natural gas from Norway.

The U.S. President at the time, Donald Trump, has expressed interest in the EU importing more American gas, potentially impacting trade negotiations. The European Commission is also considering legal measures to enforce these changes, potentially including a ban on new Russian gas contracts or offering legal frameworks allowing European companies to terminate existing contracts.

(With inputs from agencies.)