EU proposes earlier Russian gas ban in new sanctions to please Trump

Group 1 - The European Union has proposed to advance its ban on Russian gas imports by one year as part of new sanctions aimed at weakening Moscow's war funding [1][2] - The European Commission plans to phase out liquefied natural gas purchases from Russia by January 2027, requiring approval from all 27 member states [2][5] - The latest sanctions package targets companies, banks, and traders in China and India that are accused of helping Russia circumvent existing restrictions [1][7] Group 2 - The EU has already significantly reduced its Russian oil imports from 29% in early 2021 to just 2% by mid-2025, with only Hungary and Slovakia continuing to purchase Russian oil [4][6] - The sanctions package aims to blacklist 118 vessels in Russia's shadow fleet and 45 firms supporting Russia's military-industrial complex [8] - The United States is the largest supplier of LNG to Europe, accounting for almost 45% of total imports, highlighting the geopolitical dynamics in energy supply [10]