The European Union is sticking to its plan to cut off Russian oil and gas by 2028 and boost energy ties with the US, despite pushback from some member states, Reuters reports.
EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen confirmed the deadline in an interview, saying the bloc will not accelerate its phase-out under pressure from Washington — but welcomed US support.
“Not only has Putin weaponised energy against us, blackmailed member states, we are also indirectly helping finance Putin’s war, and that needs to stop,” he told Reuters. “If President Trump agrees with that, then that is only a welcome support.”
The EU has slashed Russian gas imports from around 45% of supply in 2021 to an expected 13% this year,and is now aiming to fully wean itself off Russian fossil fuels. Legal proposals to lock in the 2028 phase-out are expected to be approved by EU energy ministers next month.
US supplies set to rise
The move will accelerate Europe’s pivot to US liquefied natural gas (LNG), as part of a wider energy cooperation deal. Jørgensen is due to meet US Energy Secretary Chris Wright in Brussels next week to discuss the EU’s pledge to buy $250 billion worth of US energy supplies annually — a target some analysts call unrealistic.
He acknowledged the EU can’t directly control what energy its companies buy but said both sides would explore options to support the deal, including joint purchasing.
Hungary and Slovakia resist
Two countries remain opposed to the plan — Hungary and Slovakia, which still rely heavily on Russian crude via the Druzhba pipeline and Russian pipeline gas.
Slovak PM Robert Fico said after meeting Volodymyr Zelenskiy that reliable supply mattered more than politics.
But Jørgensen said the EU could move ahead without unanimous support, as the energy phase-out only requires a reinforced majority vote.
Talks with the two holdout states are ongoing but Jørgensen did not confirm whether Brussels would offer financial incentives or legal guarantees to bring them onside.
