The EU paid Russia billions for LNG despite promising to refuse: how gas from Yamal continues to flow to Europe
8 January 21:21
In 2025, the European Union paid Russia approximately €7.2 billion for liquefied natural gas (LNG) — despite statements about completely abandoning Russian gas imports by 2027. This was reported by The Guardian with reference to a report by the human rights organization Urgewald, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
According to analysts, the Russian Yamal LNG project in Siberia was the key source of this revenue.
Where does the gas come from and how much is purchased?
According to Urgewald, in 2025, more than 15 million tons of LNG from Yamal were delivered to EU terminals, bringing Russia approximately €7.2 billion.
Although Europe sharply reduced its imports of pipeline gas after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, its dependence on Russian LNG remained — and even increased. The EU’s share of global LNG supplies from Yamal increased from 75.4% in 2024 to 76.1% in 2025.
Who provides logistics
Gas supplies from Yamal to Europe are largely provided by European shipping companies:
- British Seapeak transported 37.3% of the volume,
- Greek Dynagas transported 34.3%.
In 2025, 58 ships carrying Russian LNG arrived at the Belgian terminal in Zeebrugge alone, delivering 4.2 million tons of gas. For comparison, 51 ships carrying 3.6 million tons arrived in China during the same period.
Who buys the most
France became the largest importer of Russian LNG in Europe in 2025. Eighty-seven ships arrived at the ports of Dunkirk and Mont-de-Marsan, delivering 6.3 million tons of gas.
At the same time, France’s TotalEnergies remains one of the key investors in the Yamal LNG project, which has drawn criticism from environmental and human rights organizations.
Why imports continue
Imports of Russian LNG are not subject to sanctions and remain legal. The EU is in no hurry to impose a complete ban, particularly due to the dependence of Central and Eastern European countries on this energy source and the risks to energy security.
At the same time, human rights activists emphasize that purchasing LNG effectively means continuing to finance the Russian economy in the context of the war against Ukraine.
What may change in the future
The UK has already announced plans to ban maritime services for ships carrying Russian LNG in 2026. This will force tankers to avoid European ports and use longer routes, which could slow down supplies from the Arctic.
The EU recalls that the REPowerEU plan, which envisages abandoning Russian gas by 2030, was presented back in 2022. And in December 2025, Brussels announced that it had finally agreed on a plan to completely abandon imports of Russian gas — both pipeline and LNG — by 2027.
