The Council of the European Union has approved a draft regulation introducing a phased ban on imports of Russian natural gas. Under the new rules, imports of Russian gas—whether by pipeline or in liquefied form—will be prohibited starting 1 January 2026, with transitional measures for existing contracts. The full ban is scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2028.
Following the Council’s decision, Serbia’s Minister of Mining and Energy, Dubravka Djedovic, described the situation as extremely challenging. The EU regulation also bans the transit of Russian gas through EU territory to third countries from 1 January 2026. This is expected to result in Bulgaria blocking Russian gas flows through the Balkan Stream pipeline, directly affecting Serbia’s supply routes.
Minister Djedovic noted that despite diplomatic efforts, Serbia faces a highly problematic situation, particularly given ongoing issues related to the majority Russian-owned oil company NIS. She emphasized that Serbia is caught in the middle of global geopolitical tensions despite not being involved in any conflict.
