Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
Brussels, October 20 (Xinhua) — European Union countries have agreed on a regulation to phase out Russian natural gas imports, marking a major step in the REPowerEU strategy aimed at reducing the EU's dependence on fossil fuels from Russia.
As the EU Council clarified, the plan calls for a ban on Russian gas imports from January 1, 2026, with a limited transition period for existing contracts. Short-term contracts will be valid until June 17, 2026, and long-term contracts until January 1, 2028.
The plan also requires energy companies to disclose the origin and duration of all gas import contracts to improve transparency and oversight.
Meanwhile, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó criticized the initiative, stating on the social network X that “the REPowerEU strategy is killing our secure energy supply.”
P. Szijjártó noted that this policy “destroys the energy security of EU member states” and emphasized that “energy should not be linked to politics.”
Before becoming law, the initiative must be approved by the European Parliament. Once approved, it will become part of the broader REPowerEU program, launched in 2022 to accelerate the transition away from Russian fossil fuels.
According to European estimates, Russian gas will still account for around 13 percent of the EU's imports in 2025, equivalent to over €15 billion (US$17.49 billion). –0–
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