Von der Leyen: Europe Will “Turn the Page” on Russian Energy by 2027

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union is on track to sever its dependence on Russian fossil fuels by 2027, reiterating a pledge first set under the REPowerEU plan. 

“By 2027, Europe will have turned the page on Russian fossil fuels for good,” she wrote on X, adding that the bloc is also addressing “the Kremlin’s provocations.”

The Commission says the shift is already well advanced: Russian gas imports fell from roughly 150 billion cubic meters in 2021 to 52 bcm in 2024, cutting Russia’s share of EU gas supplies from about 45% to 19%, while crude oil from Russia dropped from 27% of EU imports to about 3% and coal to zero.

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Brussels has also moved to close remaining gaps, notably in LNG. The Commission is preparing a proposal to ban Russian LNG imports by January 1, 2027, as part of the EU’s next sanctions package, complementing earlier oil and coal restrictions. “It’s time to turn off the tap” to Russian LNG, von der Leyen has argued while urging member states to back tougher measures.

The Commission’s REPowerEU stocktake in May detailed how efficiency measures, renewable deployment, alternative gas supplies, and joint purchases underpin the plan to “end dependency on Russian energy,” while industry data show continued declines in Russian energy’s footprint in Europe through 2025.

Earlier, it was reported that the European Commission was considering including an accelerated ban on Russian liquefied natural gas in the next sanctions package, potentially bringing the cutoff forward from the existing 2027 timeline.

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