Germany's imports of Russian liquified natural gas (LNG) via other EU countries continue to rise despite restrictions on direct shipments, the Financial Times wrote on Jan. 28, citing a report by Belgian, German, and Ukrainian NGOs.

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Europe began to wean itself off Russian fossil fuels to avoid financing the Kremlin’s war chest. Despite these efforts, Europe's imports of Russian LNG, which is largely not subject to sanctions, have soared to record levels in 2024.

Germany’s national energy company Sefe bought 58 cargoes of Russian LNG from the French port of Dunkirk in 2024, six times more than in 2023, according to the report.

Sefe was owned by Russia’s Gazprom until the former’s forced nationalization in 2022 and has a contract with Russia’s Russia’s Yamal LNG, owned by Russia's largest LNG producer and the country's second-largest natural gas producer, Novatek.

Belgium, Spain, and France receive Russian LNG cargos, which they later reexport to other countries, the FT reported. This makes it difficult to trace the origin and allows Germany to import Russian LNG even after banning its ports from receiving Russian LNG shipments.

The report underscores complications in the EU's effort to reduce the reliance on Russian fossil fuels.

The EU cut all Russian coal imports, most Russian oil imports, and over two-thirds of Russian gas imports to the EU, a Commission spokesperson said earlier in January. The EU aims to eliminate all Russian fossil fuels from its market by 2027.

Ukraine receives 1st shipment of US LNG

“Despite Russia’s attempts to destroy our energy system during the war, we have won another victory on the energy front,” Andriy Yermak, head of the Presidential Office, said on Dec. 28.

The Kyiv IndependentAbbey Fenbert