MOSCOW: Russia’s LNG supplies to the European Union reached a record high in March amid the suspension of shipments from the Middle East d...
MOSCOW: Russia’s LNG supplies to the European Union reached a record high in March amid the suspension of shipments from the Middle East due to the military conflict, according to TASS calculations based on data from the European think tank Bruegel.
In January-March, EU imports of Russian LNG amounted to approximately 6.8 billion cubic meters, compared to 5.7 billion cubic meters a year earlier.
In March, Russian LNG supplies to Europe totaled 2.46 billion cubic meters, which is an all-time high.
According to Bruegel, Europe's total LNG imports in March amounted to 14.1 billion cubic meters, which is a record high. In January-March, the EU’s LNG purchases increased by 10% to 39.2 billion cubic meters.
In March, LNG supplies to the EU from the US (the US and Trinidad and Tobago) increased by 8% compared to February, also reaching a new record of 8.3 billion cubic meters.
In January-March, Europe's gas imports from these countries increased by 23% to 23.9 billion cubic meters.
Since the beginning of the year, the EU imported about 4.2 billion cubic meters of LNG from Africa, and 2.5 billion cubic meters from the Middle East.
On LNG supplies from Russia to Europe
In late January, the EU Council finally approved a ban on Russian LNG imports from January 1, 2027, and pipeline gas imports from September 30, 2027. However, some restrictions were to be imposed earlier. LNG imports under short-term contracts are to be banned from April 25, 2026, and short-term pipeline gas supply contracts must be completed by June 17, 2026.
LNG supplies from Russia to the EU in 2025 decreased by 5.6%, amounting to 20.3 billion cubic meters. Overall, Russia ranked fourth in gas supplies to the EU in 2025, after Norway, the United States, and Algeria.
President Vladimir Putin stated that, given the European Union's intention to completely abandon Russian gas, Russia could initiate an early exit from the European market and redirect supplies to other, more interested buyers.
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