EU Has Limited Legal Options to Cut Off Russian Gas Supply

The European Union has a non-binding goal to phase out imports of Russian natural gas by 2027, but it’s unlikely to resort to a ban to achieve that indicative target. The EU is set to unveil on Tuesday a roadmap for phasing out Russian gas—a pledge the bloc made in the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

However, Russian gas still accounts for more than 15% of the EU’s gas deliveries, including by pipeline and via LNG imports. Russian pipeline gas supply via Ukraine stopped on January 1, 2025, after Ukraine refused…