Ukraine war: Trump pressure pushes EU to speed up Russian gas curbs

The European Commission is weighing fresh measures to bring forward the bloc’s exit from Russian liquefied natural gas, a shift that comes just days after renewed pressure from Washington.

According to people familiar with the discussions, officials are considering proposals to accelerate the current 2027 deadline for a complete cutoff, with the changes possibly being included in the EU’s next sanctions package due later this week.

According to a Bloomberg report, Commission spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen recalled that since the RePowerEU plan was introduced in 2022, Brussels had maintained that the sooner Russian energy was phased out, the better.

One option reportedly on the table is to amend the RePowerEU plan itself to enshrine the earlier end-date in law, which would make the move permanent. Such an amendment would not be tied to sanctions that could be lifted in the future, but rather mark an irreversible step away from reliance on Moscow.

Balancing sanctions with energy security

Policymakers face a difficult balancing act as they consider accelerating the timeline. Even after two years of war, Russian LNG and pipeline shipments via Turkey still supplied nearly 19 per cent of Europe’s total gas imports in 2024.

Spain, Belgium and France were identified as some of the largest consumers making the prospect of an abrupt halt politically and economically sensitive.

Analysts suggested that the anticipated shift of the global gas market into surplus next year could give Brussels the breathing room it needs to move faster.

With new supply expected to outpace demand in the second half of 2025, the risk of sudden price spikes would be reduced making an accelerated cutoff more palatable for European governments and households.

Washington’s LNG ambitions

The United States has positioned itself as Europe’s primary LNG supplier since 2022, delivering roughly 50 billion cubic metres annually. With new export terminals due to come online in the coming years, Washington has repeatedly expressed its readiness to fill any gap left by declining Russian flows.

Energy commitments have also been woven into broader trade relations. Under a recently agreed deal, the EU pledged to purchase $750 billion worth of US energy over three years, Bloomberg reported.

Trump’s insistence that Europe move faster on Russian LNG appears to align with these ambitions. Observers noted that by urging allies to close off Moscow’s energy revenues, the US president is also opening doors for American exporters to expand their foothold in Europe’s gas market.

Trump turns up the heat on Europe

President Trump has long argued that Europe’s sanctions regime was too soft and that continued Russian energy purchases undermined collective pressure on Moscow. Speaking alongside UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, he suggested that Washington’s own readiness to tighten sanctions would depend on Europe first cutting back its purchases.

“I’m willing to do other things, but not when the people that I’m fighting for are buying oil from Russia,” he told reporters.

This message followed months of calls from Trump for tougher action against Russia’s oil and gas trade. He had already imposed higher tariffs on Indian goods over New Delhi’s crude purchases and floated similar measures against China.

Beijing, however, has thus far avoided direct penalties, though Trump has publicly urged Nato allies to sanction Chinese oil purchases at punitive rates of up to 100 per cent.

Disputes over tariffs on India and China

Within Europe, there is little appetite for matching Washington’s hardline approach toward Asian buyers of Russian crude. Many EU governments remain reluctant to impose tariffs on India and China, fearing economic retaliation and disruptions to broader trade relations. Bloomberg quoted sources as saying that this reluctance has pushed Brussels to focus instead on LNG restrictions, which could be more politically feasible and within the bloc’s own control.

Trump, however, has continued to link his own sanctions strategy to Europe’s. Administration officials reportedly told G7 allies that Washington would raise tariffs further if others followed suit, but so far Europe has resisted.

European reluctance and Trump’s frustration

The US president’s frustration with the pace of European action has grown sharper. He has repeatedly insisted that it made little sense for Washington to squeeze Moscow financially while European nations continued to import energy from Russia.

At the same time, he voiced disappointment in Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying after their recent meeting in Alaska that the Kremlin leader had “let him down”.

Despite this, Trump dismissed suggestions that the time was right to seek a ceasefire in Ukraine, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that “it doesn’t feel like it.” His remarks suggested that for now, he sees economic pressure — particularly through energy sanctions — as the main lever to influence Moscow.

Permanent versus temporary measures

The route Brussels takes will determine how enduring the shift away from Russian LNG becomes. Provisions tied to sanctions could technically be reversed if relations improved or sanctions were lifted in the future. By contrast, embedding an accelerated cutoff within the RePowerEU plan would lock in the change permanently.

A draft regulation setting 2027 as the phaseout year is already under review by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU. Both institutions have the power to propose amendments, and moving the date forward could depend on whether Brussels opts for a sanctions framework, requiring unanimous support or the RePowerEU mechanism, which needs only a qualified majority.

What to expect

The coming months will test Europe’s ability to align its energy security needs with its commitment to weaken Russia’s war machine. For Washington, the priority is to see its allies match its confrontational stance, both to intensify pressure on Moscow and to cement the US role as Europe’s energy partner of choice.

As gas markets move toward surplus and political momentum builds, analysts suggest that Russian LNG’s days in Europe may be numbered. The only question now is how quickly Brussels will be able to translate Trump’s pressure into a durable policy shift.

Go to Source