EU to Phase Out Russian Natural Gas by 2027, Impacting Key Member States Differently

The European Union plans to completely phase out Russian natural gas by 2027, with legislative measures expected next year and initial bans starting by the end of 2026. Five member states are particularly affected due to their reliance on Russian pipeline gas or liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports.

Hungary, the largest importer of Russian gas in the EU, is heavily dependent on the TurkStream pipeline and lacks LNG terminals for alternatives. In 2025, Hungary is projected to import between 8 and 8.5 billion cubic meters of Russian gas.

Slovakia's gas transit through Ukraine will end on January 1, 2025, leading to increased political dependency on Hungary and TurkStream. France is the largest importer of Russian LNG, alongside Spain and Belgium, which together accounted for 85% of imports in 2024. The shift away from Russian gas will not be uniform, with significant costs for states that are geographically and infrastructurally dependent on it.