The EU’s current strategy aims to phase out Russian gas entirely by 2027
Will Russian gas ever return?
Views on the longer-term future of the pariah state’s gas resources are divergent
Russian pipeline gas is unlike Russian oil in that reduced volumes to Europe cannot simply be diverted to other destinations, owing to the logistical constraints of moving the commodity. So, once eastern routes to China are maxed out, supply not delivered west is lost to the global market. The EU’s current strategy is to reduce its reliance on Russian gas as quickly as possible, while committing to phasing out such supplies entirely by 2027. But the Putin regime’s appetite to weaponise gas deliveries to try to break European unity on opposition to its murderous Ukraine invasion has outstripped even its former largest customer’s timetable for weaning itself off Russian supply. This disconnect
Also in this section
13 March 2026
Brussels is again weighing a cap on gas prices amid the Hormuz crisis, but the measure could backfire by deterring the LNG cargoes Europe urgently needs
12 March 2026
Emergency oil stocks provide a last line of defence to oil market shocks, so the IEA’s unprecedented 400m bl release represents something of a double-edged sword
12 March 2026
LPG could rapidly expand access to clean cooking across Africa and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from indoor air pollution each year, but infrastructure shortages and regulatory barriers are slowing investment and market growth
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy
