EU prepares to terminate gas contracts with Russia without penalties: energy independence at stake

The European Union is considering the possibility of early termination of long-term gas contracts with Russia, trying to avoid paying penalties. This step is part of a broader strategy to abandon Russian energy sources, which Brussels plans to complete by 2027.

This was reported by the authoritative publication *The Financial Times*, citing its own sources in the EU structures. According to the interlocutors, the European Commission has already engaged legal experts to study mechanisms that would allow European energy companies to terminate contracts without financial losses and compensation in favor of Russian suppliers.

One of the options considered is the use of the legal mechanism of force majeure, which allows a party to refuse to fulfill its obligations due to extraordinary circumstances. This approach could be the key to exempting importers from the obligation to pay fines to Russia for early termination of contracts.

This plan comes against the backdrop of a significant reduction in Russian pipeline gas supplies to Europe since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Despite this, Europe continued to buy Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), which made it difficult to achieve full energy decentralization from Moscow.

According to the analysis of the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), in the period from February 2024 to February 2025 alone, EU countries transferred about 21 billion euros to the Russian Federation for oil and gas supplies. This amount indicates that Europe’s energy dependence on Russian resources remains significant.

The intention to terminate contracts without penalties is another signal that Europe is ready to move towards energy sovereignty not only politically, but also legally. If such a scenario were to materialize, it could become a precedent for other countries seeking to reduce or completely cease economic cooperation with Russia in the energy sector.