Von der Leyen unveils 19th sanctions package against Russia: EU banning imports of Russian liquefied natural gas

The European Union has announced its 19th sanctions package against Russia, which includes a ban on imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) to EU markets since 1 January 2027.

The European Commission proposes to ban imports of Russian LNG into the EU since 1 January 2027.

"Russia's war economy is sustained by revenues from fossil fuels. We want to cut these revenues. So we are banning imports of Russian LNG into European markets.

It is time to turn off the tap. We are prepared for this," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. 

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas confirmed that the EU plans to fully phase out Russian LNG by the end of next year.

"Our goal is to accelerate the phase-out of Russian LNG by 1 January 2027," she said.

Earlier, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing Bloomberg, that the presentation of the 19th EU sanctions package against Russia had been postponed after US President Donald Trump demanded tougher measures from Europe as a condition for imposing US sanctions.