The European Commission has presented a plan to phase out Russian gas by the end of 2027, Reuters reports. Under the proposal, signing new contracts will be banned from January 1, 2026. Existing short-term contracts must end by June 17, 2026, and long-term ones by the end of 2027. EU member states will now discuss the plan, which must then be approved by the EU Council and the European Parliament. European Commissioner for Energy Dan Jørgensen told The Guardian that the ban on Russian gas imports will remain in place regardless of whether peace is achieved in Ukraine. He also recalled Russia’s use of gas blackmail even before its full-scale invasion.