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The decision to impose the ban was made at a ministerial meeting on Monday, despite protests from Slovakia and Hungary, Reuters reports. "This regulation represents an important step towards achieving the goals of the REPowerEU program aimed at reducing the EU's dependence on Russian energy resources," the Council's press service noted.
The initial draft of the plan was presented in early December 2025. The document provides for exceptions allowing EU member states to extend the use of Russian gas until October 31, 2027, if their storage levels fall below the established threshold.
