EU countries have increased the volume of purchases of Russian gas, – mass media

EU countries since February 2022, despite a sharp reduction imports of Russian pipeline gas and oil, almost doubled the purchase of liquefied natural gas from Russia, writes The Guardian.

According to research by the anti-corruption group Global Witness, EU countries bought 22 million cubic meters of Russian LNG between January and July in 2023 – compared to 15 million cubic meters for the same period in 2021. Thus, the growth was 40%.

"The purchase of Russian gas has the same impact as the purchase of Russian oil. Both finance the war in Ukraine, and every euro means more bloodshed. While European countries are condemning the war, they are putting money in Putin's pockets,” says Global Witness analyst Jonathan Noronha-Gant.

The study found that EU member states bought more than half of Russian liquefied natural gas on the market in the first seven months of 2023. Spain and Belgium were the biggest buyers after China.

Government sources in both countries told The Guardian that the record purchases were due to their large number of LNG terminals, rather than their own needs.

The interlocutor in Spain, which currently chairs the Council of the European Union, also believes that purchases of Russian LNG will not stop until the EU states reach an appropriate agreement, and there is none at the moment.

Prepared by: Nina Petrovych