Khaberni - The European Union countries have finally agreed on a ban on importing Russian gas by the end of 2027, a step that makes their commitment to severing ties with their former largest energy supplier a legally binding obligation.
According to (Reuters), EU ministers approved the law during a meeting in Brussels today, Monday, although Slovakia and Hungary voted against it, while Bulgaria abstained from voting.
Hungary said it would challenge this law before the European Court of Justice.
It's possible for the ban to be approved by a vote of 72 percent of the countries in favor, which allowed overcoming the opposition from Hungary and Slovakia, which still heavily depend on Russian energy imports.
Under the agreement, the European Union will stop importing Russian liquefied natural gas by the end of 2026, and gas via pipelines by September 30, 2027. Meanwhile, the law allows the deadline to be extended to November 1, 2027, at the latest, if a country faces difficulties in filling its tanks with non-Russian gas before the winter season begins.
