US EditionEU’s Top Russian LNG Buyers Refuse to Back Brussels’ Gas Ban
- France and Belgium, the EU's top buyers of Russian liquefied natural gas, refused to support the European Commission's May 2025 plan to ban Russian gas imports.
- They cited concerns about legal risks, economic impacts, and existing long-term contracts, while Hungary and Slovakia also oppose the ban due to reliance on Russian energy.
- France plans to replace Russian supplies with imports from Qatar and holds a 20% stake in Russia’s Yamal LNG project, while Belgium seeks a detailed impact assessment before deciding.
- During the current year, four EU member states—the Netherlands along with three others—were responsible for importing 97% of the bloc’s liquefied natural gas from Russia, totaling 16.77 million tonnes valued at more than €6 billion, which constitutes over half of Russia’s worldwide LNG exports.
- Support from key purchasers is essential for the European Commission to move forward with its plan to eliminate Russian gas imports and maintain reliable energy supplies throughout the EU by 2027.
20 Articles
20 Articles
On June 17, the European Commission may present a package of measures to introduce a zero quota on gas imports from Russia.
France and Belgium opposed the ban on the import of Russian gas to European countries: EADaily
EADaily, June 4th, 2025. The two largest buyers of Russian gas in Europe, France and Belgium, opposed the ban on the import of Russian gas to the EU countries, which was initiated by the European Commission.
France and Belgium demand legal and economic guarantees before deciding to cut off Russian gas
An agreement on ending imports of Russian LNG to the European Union is still far from being reached. Brussels' intention to completely eliminate Russian liquefied gas from the European market by 2027 is facing resistance from two major importers – France and Belgium. Ten EU countries, including the Czech Republic, are pressuring Brussels to block not only imports...
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