Despite the European Union's plans to end dependence on Russian energy, Belgium imported all the liquefied natural gas (LNG) it imported in July from Russia. Bloomberg's ship tracking data revealed that Russia was Belgium's sole LNG supplier last month.
The country's total LNG imports dropped by more than 40% compared to the same period last year, limited to around 400,000 tons of Russian gas. Belgium also continued to receive gas via pipelines from Norway and the United Kingdom.
Middle East supply disruptions push buyers to Russian gas
This contradicts the EU's plan to reduce dependence on Russian energy. The bloc had started a ban on short-term contracts in April and planned to impose a full ban on Russian LNG imports from next year.
However, supply disruptions from the Middle East pushed European buyers toward Russian gas. According to data from the German organization Orgivald, the EU's Russian LNG imports rose 16% in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year, reaching 5.96 billion euros. France, Belgium, and Spain led these imports.
Russia is the EU's second-largest LNG supplier after the United States. Some observers question the feasibility of a full ban if Middle East supply disruptions continue.
Europe's gas stocks sound alarm
Europe faces growing difficulties in filling its gas storage ahead of winter. High prices and shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have prompted energy companies to postpone purchases.
Market data shows that Europe's gas stocks are at the lowest seasonal level recorded since 2009. This raises supply security concerns for the coming winter.
Russian energy company Gazprom warned that the gas deficit in Europe's underground storage facilities poses a serious risk in the winter months. The company said the storage deficit reached 12 billion cubic meters, and that the volume of gas in storage as of July 31 was 17.3% lower than the same period last year.
Gazprom stated that storage levels in Germany, the Netherlands, and France remain below the European average. According to the company, if this situation continues, it could threaten Europe's ability to secure reliable winter supply as global LNG competition heats up.
Before the start of the Ukraine war in 2022, Gazprom met about 40% of Europe's natural gas needs via its pipeline network. The company's exports to the continent reached 201.7 billion cubic meters in 2021. Due to European sanctions and a shift to alternative suppliers such as the US, Qatar, and Norway, this figure fell to around 15 billion cubic meters in 2024.
