EU’s Russian gas ban aims for a lasting shift, but loopholes could blunt impact

The European Union approved a long-promised ban on Russian gas to cement a shift away from Moscow, with LNG fully banned by January 2027 and pipeline gas phased out by September 2027, but national security clauses, legal challenges, and loopholes such as gas laundering via Turkey, re-exports through the Western Balkans, and opaque origin tracking could delay or dilute the impact. Experts say the move signals a lasting structural shift that will erode Russia’s revenue and leverage over time, even if near-term price effects are muted.