EU imports of Russian LNG reach record levels, according to Politico
According to reports from the outlet, shipments of the super-chilled fuel experienced a significant increase following the halt of pipeline gas transit through Ukraine. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia saw a remarkable increase after the suspension of pipeline gas transit through Ukraine, according to reports.
The EU's imports of LNG from Russia experienced an unprecedented rise during the first two weeks of 2025, as reported by PMG on Thursday, referencing data from commodities provider Kpler.
In the initial 15 days of the year, EU member nations purchased 837,300 metric tons of the super-chilled gas from Russia. This figure represents a record high, surpassing the 760,100 tons imported during the same timeframe in 2024.
The surge in imports occurred shortly after Ukraine opted not to renew a five-year transit contract with Russian energy firm Gazprom at the end of 2024, effectively cutting off several member states, including Romania, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Italy, and Moldova, from receiving pipeline natural gas from Russia.
Following the Ukrainian conflict and the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines in September 2022, exports of Russian pipeline gas saw a substantial decline. However, EU member states continued to import significant quantities of LNG from Russia, as the chilled fuel was only partially affected by the latest sanctions imposed by the European Union.
In June, the EU imposed restrictions on Russian LNG for the first time, banning re-loading operations, ship-to-ship transfers, and ship-to-shore transfers aimed at re-exporting to third countries from within the EU. These sanctions include a nine-month transition period.
While the EU has pledged to eliminate its reliance on Russian energy sources, the bloc has persisted in purchasing LNG from the country. According to Kpler data, the amount of chilled gas imported by the EU represented 15% of total LNG imports as of June 2024.
In the first half of last year, data compiled by the Institute of Energy Economics and Financial Analysis indicated that Russia was the second-largest supplier of LNG to Europe, following the US, with a market share of 21%.
Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Moscow intends to further increase its share of the global LNG market, emphasizing that the fuel remains one of the most sought-after energy products worldwide.
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
The EU's imports of LNG from Russia experienced an unprecedented rise during the first two weeks of 2025, as reported by PMG on Thursday, referencing data from commodities provider Kpler.
In the initial 15 days of the year, EU member nations purchased 837,300 metric tons of the super-chilled gas from Russia. This figure represents a record high, surpassing the 760,100 tons imported during the same timeframe in 2024.
The surge in imports occurred shortly after Ukraine opted not to renew a five-year transit contract with Russian energy firm Gazprom at the end of 2024, effectively cutting off several member states, including Romania, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Italy, and Moldova, from receiving pipeline natural gas from Russia.
Following the Ukrainian conflict and the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines in September 2022, exports of Russian pipeline gas saw a substantial decline. However, EU member states continued to import significant quantities of LNG from Russia, as the chilled fuel was only partially affected by the latest sanctions imposed by the European Union.
In June, the EU imposed restrictions on Russian LNG for the first time, banning re-loading operations, ship-to-ship transfers, and ship-to-shore transfers aimed at re-exporting to third countries from within the EU. These sanctions include a nine-month transition period.
While the EU has pledged to eliminate its reliance on Russian energy sources, the bloc has persisted in purchasing LNG from the country. According to Kpler data, the amount of chilled gas imported by the EU represented 15% of total LNG imports as of June 2024.
In the first half of last year, data compiled by the Institute of Energy Economics and Financial Analysis indicated that Russia was the second-largest supplier of LNG to Europe, following the US, with a market share of 21%.
Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Moscow intends to further increase its share of the global LNG market, emphasizing that the fuel remains one of the most sought-after energy products worldwide.
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
