European Union Postpones Permanent Russian Oil Ban Proposal

The European Commission has pushed back its planned April 15 proposal to permanently prohibit Russian oil imports, citing current geopolitical tensions. The measure would have legally codified a complete phase-out of Russian oil by the end of 2027, ensuring the ban remains even if Ukraine war sanctions are eventually lifted.

The European Commission has postponed its scheduled April 15 submission of legislation that would make the ban on Russian oil imports permanent, according to an updated legislative calendar released Tuesday.

While an EU representative confirmed to Reuters that the proposal remains active and will eventually be published, the mid-April timeline has been scrapped due to “current geopolitical developments.”

The International Energy Agency reports that the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran has created unprecedented oil supply disruptions worldwide, driving crude prices significantly higher.

The proposed legislation would legally mandate the complete elimination of Russian oil imports no later than December 2027. This follows similar EU action to phase out Russian gas imports by late 2027.

Although the measure would have minimal immediate effect on actual oil supplies – the EU imported only 1% of its oil from Russia in the fourth quarter of 2025 after dramatically cutting imports following Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine – Brussels seeks to make the prohibition legally binding.

The permanent ban would remain effective even if future peace agreements in Ukraine lead to the removal of current sanctions against Russia.

Existing EU restrictions on Russian seaborne oil have already eliminated the vast majority of imports from the bloc.

As of January 27, only Hungary and Slovakia continued receiving Russian oil, until a Russian drone attack damaged pipeline infrastructure in Ukraine, halting those shipments. Both Budapest and Bratislava have accused Ukraine of intentionally preventing the restoration of oil deliveries, creating a diplomatic crisis that prompted Hungary to block EU lending to Kyiv.

The original April 15 timing would have placed the proposal just three days following Hungary’s parliamentary elections. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has preserved friendly relations with Moscow throughout the Ukraine conflict, strongly opposes any such prohibition.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated earlier this month that resuming Russian energy purchases would constitute “a strategic blunder” and increase Europe’s vulnerability.