The European Union has once again thrust itself into a self-inflicted energy dilemma. On October 20, the European Council announced that all new import deals for Russian gas will be banned starting January 1, 2026, marking a decisive but contentious move in its years-long campaign to sever energy ties with Moscow. The decision, hailed by Western officials as a milestone toward “energy independence,” may instead deepen internal divisions across Europe, strain economies, and accelerate the geopolitical realignments already reshaping global power.

The measure, part of a broader strategy to eliminate Russian fossil fuels entirely by 2028, prohibits the transit of Russian gas through EU territory. Short-term contracts signed before June 17, 2025, will be allowed to run until mid-2026, while long-term deals can continue until January 1, 2028. These transition periods are designed to prevent immediate shortages, especially in landlocked Central European states that still depend heavily on Russian supplies. The Council’s statement even makes special provision for “specific flexibilities” for such member states, acknowledging the economic and logistical obstacles to total disengagement.

Yet despite this limited flexibility, the ban represents one of the most aggressive energy policy shifts in modern European history-an act both ideological and strategic, but also one fraught with risk.

Hungary and Slovakia have emerged as the loudest dissenters within the bloc. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, who attended the Russian Energy Week in Moscow just days before the announcement, reiterated that Budapest has no plans to abandon Russian gas or oil. “We will not be able to ensure the necessary fuel supplies without these deliveries,” he said, bluntly rejecting the idea that Hungary could........

© Blitz