European Union's imports of Russian gas took a hit early 2026 . Purchases dropped 17% to €4.6 billion in first four months. Reflects shift in EU's energy strategy as geopolitical tensions simmer.
EU spent €1.8 billion on Russian pipeline gas,€2.8 billion on liquefied natural gas (LNG) from January to April. In April,EU countries paid €705 million for Russian LNG. Belgium was top importer at €261 million,followed by France at €196 million,Spain at €182 million. EU also imported €578 million worth of Russian pipeline gas in same month .
April numbers show Russian LNG made up 16.4% of EU's total LNG imports. U.S. led market with 61% share . For pipeline gas,Russian supplies were 15% of imports. Norway led at 32.3%,Algeria at 25%,Azerbaijan at 12.8%.
On January 26,EU Council greenlit ban on Russian LNG supplies,starting January 1, 2027. Pipeline gas ban follows September 30,2027. Short-term LNG contracts banned from April 25, 2026,pipeline contracts must end by June 17, 2026.
Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested Russia might speed up its exit from European market. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak noted Russian firms could soon shift LNG exports to China,India,Thailand,Philippines,without waiting for more EU restrictions.
In 2025,Russia was second in value among EU's LNG imports,holding 16.1% share. Combining LNG and pipeline gas purchases,figure rose to 16.2%. In physical volumes,Russia accounted for about 14% of EU's LNG imports,12.1% of total gas imports,including pipelines . Last year,Russia's gas deliveries to Europe hit 38 billion cubic meters,over 20 billion cubic meters were LNG .
