Russia Remains Belgium's Only LNG Supplier as EU Imports Decline

Imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) into the European Union continue to decline, but Moscow remains Belgium's sole LNG supplier. According to an analysis by the Helsinki-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), Russian LNG imports into France, Spain, and Belgium fell by a combined 46% in July compared to last year.

The same CREA analysis found that Russia's global LNG export revenues dropped by 36% in July. This comes as the European Union prepares to ban imports of Russian LNG from January 2027 and pipeline gas from autumn 2027.

Belgium, which imported all its LNG from Russia in July, is not alone in its dependence on Moscow's fossil fuels. Hungary and Slovakia are the largest buyers of Russian fossil fuels in the EU, paying €486 million and €299 million respectively in July.