MOSCOW, August 14. /TASS/. Russia ranked second after the US in June in terms of the value of liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies to the European Union, with a 24.1% market share, according to TASS calculations based on Eurostat data.
The EU purchased approximately €809 million worth of LNG from Russia, representing a 57% increase year-on-year. Belgium was the largest LNG importer with 268 mln euros, the highest figure since July 2025, followed by France (€258 million), and Spain (€201 million). Belgium also became the leading buyer of Russian gas in Europe in the reporting period, surpassing France and Hungary.
The EU also imported €542 million worth of Russian pipeline gas in June.
Russian pipeline gas accounted for 12.5% of the total value of the EU’s pipeline gas imports in June. Norway ranked first with 33.3%, followed by Algeria with 23.6%, and the UK with 18.8%.
The US held the top spot with its LNG supplies, accounting for 54.3% of the market and €1.83 billion.
In the first half of the year, Europe’s total purchases of Russian LNG reached €4.5 billion. Earlier, TASS reported, citing calculations based on data from the European think tank Bruegel, that Russian LNG deliveries to the EU in June totaled 2.17 billion cubic meters, an increase of 10%.
The EU’s total purchases of Russian gas in January-June decreased by 3.4% year-on-year to €7.4 billion.
EU ban on Russian gas
On January 26, the EU Council finalized a complete ban on Russian LNG supplies to the EU effective January 1, 2027, and on pipeline gas from September 30, 2027. The ban on LNG imports under short-term contracts came into effect on April 25, 2026, while short-term pipeline gas contracts were set to expire by June 17, 2026.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that, given the EU's intention to completely phase out Russian gas, Russia could prematurely exit the European market on its own initiative and redirect supplies to other, more interested buyers. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak announced that Russian companies would soon redirect a portion of LNG supplies from Europe to friendly nations, including China, India, Thailand, and the Philippines, without waiting for further EU restrictions.
According to TASS calculations, Russia was the second-largest exporter of LNG to the EU by value in 2025, behind the US. Its share stood at 16.1% (or 16.2% of the combined value of LNG and pipeline gas purchases). In terms of volume, Russia accounted for roughly 14% of the EU's LNG imports (12.1% of total gas supplies, including pipeline gas). Russia's total supplies to Europe last year amounted to 38 billion cubic meters, with LNG accounting for just over 20 billion cubic meters.