EU delays permanent ban on Russian oil imports amid Middle East supply shocks

The European Union has postponed the unveiling of a legislative proposal that would permanently ban imports of Russian oil, delaying a key element of its long-term energy strategy amid ongoing supply disruptions linked to the war in the Middle East.

The European Commission confirmed that the announcement, originally scheduled for April 15 under its REPowerEU roadmap, has been removed from the calendar.

Anna-Kaisa Itkonen, the Commission’s energy spokesperson, said no new date has been set. She stressed, however, that Brussels has not abandoned the initiative. “The proposal will be presented,” she said.

Moscow revives supply offer as energy prices surge

Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 28 предложed resuming long-term oil and gas supplies to Europe, citing sharply rising energy prices following US and Israeli strikes on Iran.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen rejected any reversal of the bloc’s course, warning that abandoning efforts to curb Russia’s energy revenues, which finance its war in Ukraine, would constitute a “strategic mistake.”

Existing sanctions remain in place as pipeline flows halt

The European Union banned seaborne imports of Russian crude oil in 2022 following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Pipeline exports to Hungary and Slovakia, which had continued under exemptions, have effectively ceased since January due to damage along the Druzhba pipeline crossing Ukraine.

The bloc has also committed to phasing out Russian liquefied natural gas by the end of 2026 and pipeline gas by autumn 2027.

The International Energy Agency said the war in the Middle East has triggered the largest disruption to global energy supply on record. In the wake of these developments, Brent crude prices have climbed above $100 per barrel.