According to the latest data from Eurostat, EU countries’ purchases of Russian gas increased significantly between January and April 2025. Despite efforts to abandon supplies from Russia, significant volumes of both pipeline and liquefied natural gas (LNG) continued to flow into the European Union.
Imports of Russian pipeline gas to Europe in the first four months of 2025 increased by approximately 5–10% compared to the same period last year.
Russian LNG supplies also showed growth — at the end of January, this figure exceeded 17% compared to December 2024.
In January 2025, the EU spent about €1.9 billion on Russian gas: ≈€833 million on pipeline supplies and ≈€1.07 billion on LNG, which was the highest level in two years.
The suspension of Russian gas transit through Ukraine on January 1, 2025, prompted EU countries to increase purchases through alternative routes, such as TurkStream, and through LNG supplies.
Advantageous contracts and cheaper prices for Russian LNG are being used, especially in the context of energy shortages.
Energy dependence: Despite the goal of completely abandoning Russian gas by 2027, the EU bloc remains dependent on it for ≈19% of its total gas imports.
Diversification in progress: The EU is actively trying to offset the risks by finding new suppliers (the US, Norway, Algeria, Azerbaijan) and increasing the role of LNG, but ending Russian supplies will take time.
European authorities are discussing the possibility of transferring contracts to Force Majeure status, which would facilitate their termination by 2027.
