Less and less Russian oil in Europe but gas resists

On days when different leader europei – terrified by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz – seem to want to give a new one possibility for Russian oilthe European Commission sends a very clear signal: on April 15th he will present a proposal for phase out remaining Russian oil imports nell’European Unioncompleting the process exit from Moscow’s fossil fuels initiated after the invasion of Ukraine.

According to data from Brussels, the imports of Russian oil into the EU have already collapsed in recent years, going from around 27% of the total at the beginning of 2022 to around 2% today, with only two member countries continuing to purchase it: Hungary and Slovakia.

Coal and natural gas: the current situation

The imports of Russian coalhowever, have been completely banned by European sanctions. The situation remains more complex natural gaswhere Moscow still maintains a significant presence in European market despite the drastic decline in energy dependence.

Before the war, the Russian gas represented around 45% of EU imports, a share which fell to around 13% in 2025 thanks to diversification of supplies and to reduction in consumption. In absolute terms, however, approx 35 billion cubic meters of Russian gas continue to enter every year in the European energy systemfor an estimated value of approximately 10 billion euros at current prices. These supplies arrive via both gas pipelines both in the form of liquefied natural gas.

The future of LNG and the 2027 goal

I market data show that Europe remains one key customer for Russian LNG: In February 2026, EU countries imported 1.54 million tons of LNG dal Yamal projectwith 21 freighters all heading towards European gatesthe first time since 2018 that the Arctic facility’s entire monthly output has been absorbed by the European market. Il European regulatory framework However, it aims to definitively close this too dependence.

With the regulation adopted last Januarythe EU has introduced a gradual but permanent ban all imports of Russian gaswith the end of supplies of LNG by January 1, 2027 and it stop gas via pipeline by 30 September 2027with possible technical extension until November of the same year in case of storage problems. THE’exit from Russian gas was made possible above all by the increase in LNG imports from alternative suppliersin particular United States, Norway, Algeria e Azerbaijanand from one reduction in gas demand in the EU by more than 19% between 2021 and 2024. Thedeclared objective of Brussels And eliminate Russian energy supplies by 2027thus interrupting the approximately 10 billion euros a year that the Union continues to pay for gas in Mosca.