According to Bloomberg, European Union members spent 12.5 billion euros on Russian liquefied natural gas between January and September, five times more than during the same period in 2021.
LNG imports from Russia to the EU are up about 40% annually.
Belgium imported more than double Russian LNG from January to October, and France imported up to 60% more.
“We have never announced any work on a ban on Russian gas, and that has not changed,” Eric Mamer, the European Commission’s chief spokesman, said on Nov. 25. Only the UK and Baltic states have reportedly stopped buying Russian LNG.
Since Russia started its full-scale war against Ukraine, the European Union has decreased its consumption of Russian natural gas from 40% to 9%, even though it has hurt the European economy, Matti Maasikas, the head of the EU delegation to Ukraine, told RBK-Ukraine.
"The EU and its member states are making a purposeful effort to stop importing Russia's gas completely," said Maasikas.
According to the official, sanctions imposed by the EU have a substantial impact on Russia, and although energy prices rose in the first half of 2022, Russia "can't buy much" with this money due to the trade restrictions from Western countries.
