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.
"agreement is a long-overdue step toward dismantling one of the Kremlin's most powerful economic weapons. Every cubic meter of Russian gas kept flowing into Europe has helped finance the missiles that strike Ukrainian cities. This Regulation, if implemented without loopholes, brings Europe closer to honouring its promise to end this deadly dependency."
It was Nawrocki's first trip to Prague since his election in June and came just under a week before a summit of presidents of the so-called Visegrad Group of Central European countries in Esztergom, Hungary, on December 3. The two men were keen to emphasize in the press briefing after their meeting that they were very much on the same page on most of the issues facing Europe, notably the war in Ukraine.