The European Commission is set to unveil a June 17 that would legally prohibit imports of Russian pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) into the European Union by the end of 2027. Imports under existing long-term Russian contracts would then be banned from January 1, 2028, effectively ending the EU's use of Russian gas by this date, the summary said.

To avoid veto by Hungary and Slovakia, which have openly opposed a full ban on Russian energy, the Commission is expected to rely on a legal basis allowing adoption by a reinforced majority of member states and the European Parliament, rather than requiring unanimous approval.

EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen said the new legal framework was designed to allow companies to cite force majeure in order to legally terminate existing Russian gas contracts without financial penalties.

Brussels has aligned itself with Kyiv’s interests through a plan jointly shaped by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to impose restrictions on Russian energy imports, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said following an EU Energy Council meeting in Luxembourg on Monday, June 16.

Szijjarto said the plan would eliminate affordable oil and gas sources, replacing them with more expensive alternatives and jeopardising the region’s energy security. He stressed that, unlike Western countries with seaports, landlocked Central European nations face physical, not political, limitations in diversifying their energy supplies.

Currently, two pipelines supply oil to Hungary, and the plan would eliminate one of them. So Hungary would be heavily dependent on transit through Croatia. He said it was "ridiculous" to suggest this would increase Hungarian energy security, and suggested that Croatia would maximise its profits by taking advantage of its monopoly, referring to the increase in transit fees by Hungary’s southern neighbour after the war in Ukraine.

Referring to Hungary’s long-term gas contract with Russia expiring in 2037, the minister warned that cancelling such agreements under pressure from Brussels could lead to lawsuits and fines. Last year, Ukraine shut down its largest pipeline, while "Brussels and Kyiv now want to shut down TurkStream". Fully 26bn cubic metres of gas is supplied to Hungary via these pipelines each year, he added.

According to the minister, the "von der Leyen-Zelenskiy plan" could cost Hungary as much as HUF800bn (€2bn) in higher energy costs, an "unbearable economic burden."

Szijjarto threatened to cut Hungary’s electricity exports to Ukraine, as 40-42% of the war-torn country’s electricity imports come from Hungary.