Under the agreement, the EU will halt imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) by the end of 2026 and of pipeline gas by September 30, 2027. Under the law, that end date can be moved back to November 1, 2027, if a member state is having difficulties reaching its required gas storage levels with other sources ahead of the winter heating season.
The European Union is expected to indefinitely freeze hundreds of billions of Russian funds held in Europe in line with a plan to use the cash to support Ukraine. The bloc's members were expected to approve the plan on Friday to immobilise 210 billion euros ($246bn) worth of Russian sovereign assets for as long as necessary, through a qualified majority vote, instead of voting every six months on extending the asset freeze.