Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia could stop supplying natural gas to European Union countries sooner than expected, citing commercial reasons.
In a Wednesday interview, Putin said the EU plans “to introduce new restrictions on the purchase of Russian gas in a month, and in a year to tighten them to a complete ban.”
“Other markets are now opening up. Maybe it would be more profitable for us to stop supplies to the European market right now, and establish ourselves in new export directions,” he added, stressing there is no political motive and that these were merely “thoughts out loud,” not a formal decision.
In January, the Council of the European Union approved a ban on Russian pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG), set to take full effect in January 2027 for LNG and autumn 2027 for pipeline gas.
In 2025, Russia accounted for about 13 percent of total EU gas imports from pipeline gas and LNG combined, the council said.