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EU's Russian gas imports rise despite decoupling efforts
🇪🇪 Estonia /Economy & Trade

EU's Russian gas imports rise despite decoupling efforts

From Postimees · () Estonian

Translated from Estonian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Russian natural gas imports to the EU have increased in the first months of 2026, despite official efforts to reduce reliance on Russian energy.
  • Experts explain that these figures do not indicate a failure of sanctions, suggesting a more complex situation behind the apparent contradiction.
  • The EU aims to phase out Russian liquefied natural gas, but recent statistics show a rise in imports, prompting scrutiny of the energy market dynamics.

Despite the European Union's stated goal of phasing out Russian liquefied natural gas, imports have reportedly increased in the first months of 2026. This trend appears contradictory to the bloc's "historical weaning" from Russian energy sources.

Energy experts, however, caution against interpreting these numbers as a sign of sanctions failing. They suggest that the situation is more nuanced and that the increase in imports does not necessarily equate to a circumvention of restrictions.

The data highlights the complex realities of the European energy market, where official policy and market dynamics can sometimes diverge. Further analysis is needed to understand the specific factors driving this apparent contradiction and its implications for the EU's energy strategy.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Postimees in Estonian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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