Brussels, Oct. 21 -- European Union countries have agreed to ban all Russian energy imports from January 1, 2028, after voting for a European Commission proposal on the same.

Energy ministers of almost all EU countries voted in favour of the draft regulation, which applies to both pipeline oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG), during a meeting in Luxembourg held on October 20.

The regulation constitutes a central element of the EU's REPowerEU roadmap to end dependency on Russian energy, following "Russia's weaponisation of gas supplies" and "repeated disruptions of gas supplies to the EU with significant effects on the European energy market," according to a statement by the European Council.

The Council confirmed that imports of Russia...