Belgium Now Fully Reliant on Russia for LNG Amid Middle East Supply Crunch
Belgium's reliance on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) has increased dramatically in July, making it completely dependent on Moscow for imports. According to Bloomberg, this shift is a result of the ongoing war in the Middle East, which has caused a significant reduction in LNG supplies to Europe.
The country's total LNG flows fell by more than 40% in July compared to last year, with Belgium purchasing about 0.4 million tons of fuel from Russia. This development complicates the European Union's energy policy, particularly since the EU has imposed a ban on Russian LNG starting next year.
The situation is further complicated by low gas reserves in Europe for the upcoming winter, which are currently at their lowest seasonal level since 2009. Industry observers have questioned the EU's decision to ban Russian gas if supply disruptions from the Middle East continue.