EU imports of Russian LNG plummet, with Belgium down to zero, report says
Belgium imported no LNG from Russia in August. Just one month before, 100% of its LNG imports came from Russia.
Belgium has completely stopped importing Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) in August, according to a report by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). This decision has contributed to a 46% decrease in EU-wide imports of Russian LNG, marking the lowest monthly volume since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The report's Europe-Russia Energy policy analyst, Isaac Levi, revealed that Belgium's LNG imports from Russia dwindled to zero in August, down from 100% in July.
As a result of Belgium's withdrawal from the Russian market, France, Spain, and the Netherlands are now the remaining importers of Russian LNG. French ports alone accounted for 57% of the EU's total LNG imports in the region. Levi explained that TotalEnergies, a French energy company, has an LNG import contract set to expire at the end of 2026, causing French imports to decrease. Following January 2027, EU LNG imports of Russian gas will be illegal under the REPowerEU regulation.
Despite the EU's ongoing reduction of Russian fossil fuel imports, the bloc remains the largest buyer of Russian LNG, representing 49% of Russia's total LNG exports. This figure is more than double that of China, the second-largest destination at 24%. The report highlights that Russia seems to be heavily dependent on a limited number of key customers and may be experiencing difficulties with customers outside of the immediate region.
The Australian Senate is also discussing the tightening of Russian sanctions, with tackling the import of Russia-derived oil products identified as a priority.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
