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Baltic states urge EU to speed up ban on Russian oil imports

27 June 2026 11:07 (UTC +04:00)

Baltic states have called on Brussels to bring forward delayed plans to ban imports of Russian oil, as the EU’s fears of a severe energy crunch sparked by the Iran war have failed to materialise, Financial Times reports.

Member states agreed late last year that the European Commission would bring forward the ban but talks on the measures have stalled since the outbreak of the war in late February forced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and sparked concerns of an energy supply crisis.

At a meeting of energy ministers on Friday, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania called on the EU to bring forward proposals to phase out the imports, according to multiple people familiar with the talks, arguing that Russian energy exports are helping to fund the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine.

Energy commissioner Dan Jørgensen did not address the comments in the closed-door meeting, the people said. A spokesperson declined to comment but the Commission has committed to bringing forward the proposal.

The calls come as a gradual reopening of the strait after the US agreed a ceasefire extension with Iran was set to boost oil markets, emboldening calls for Europe to advance its phaseout of Russian energy. Roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and gas normally passes through the critical Gulf waterway.

Since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the EU has moved to wean itself off its dependence on Russian energy. According to the Commission, oil imports from the country represented 2 per cent of supply in 2025, compared with 27 per cent at the start of 2022, but that still amounted to 9.7mn tonnes of crude.

Baltic states European Union European Commission Russian oil oil imports Russia Estonia Latvia Lithuania Brussels energy sanctions Kremlin Ukraine war Strait of Hormuz energy security Dan Jørgensen Financial Times