The European Union negotiator hopes to impose a ban on Russian gas imports by the end of the year

European Union energy ministers on Monday backed a proposal to ban gas imports from Russia, strengthening the bloc’s efforts to further reduce Russia’s energy export revenues and raising hopes for a conclusion to the talks.

“An energy-independent Europe is a stronger and more secure Europe,” said Danish Energy Minister Lars Aagaard, who chaired the talks.

“Although we have worked hard and pushed to get Russian gas and oil out of Europe in recent years, we have not reached that point yet,” Aagaard said.

Agreeing on a common position on stopping imports was necessary before the draft law was finalized with the European Parliament.

EU lawmakers have already backed the proposal in a vote last week, allowing them to begin negotiations with capitals.

Agard, who will be one of the lead negotiators, said his “clear ambition” was to conclude the negotiations before the end of the year.

Under the proposal, pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from Russia would be permanently banned from 2028 at the latest.

The ban, which will be negotiated with the European Parliament, is set to be adopted by a majority vote, meaning that countries such as Hungary and Slovakia, which import gas via pipeline from Russia, could be outvoted.

Agard said on Monday that it was important that the initiative had “overwhelming support from European energy ministers.”

Parallel efforts are underway to impose a previous ban on liquefied natural gas imports as part of the upcoming sanctions package that the European Union will impose on Russia.

Last year, Moscow still accounted for about a fifth of gas imports into the EU, with an increasing share of liquefied natural gas, according to EU figures. In the first half of 2025, the bloc imported approximately 4.5 billion euros ($5.3 billion) worth of liquefied natural gas from Russia.

Sanctions could be adopted once all 27 EU members agree to these measures without the participation of the European Parliament, making the legislative process faster.

However, the punitive sanctions imposed on Russia are temporary and should be lifted once the war in Ukraine ends and the EU no longer sees a reason to punish Moscow.

An agreement between European Union countries and the European Parliament on banning pipelines and liquefied natural gas aims to put a permanent end to Russian fuel imports.