Netherlands calls for new measures against Russian LNG supplies to Europe

Photo: GATE terminal in the port of Rotterdam

Shippings of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia to the Netherlands' main terminal in Rotterdam have increased in recent months, indicating the need for further sanctions against Moscow, the Dutch government said on Monday, September 23, Reuters reports.

Imports of Russian LNG to the GATE terminal in Europe's largest seaport have increased; the average number of Russian carriers arriving at the port has doubled (today it is two per month), the Dutch leadership notes.

This increase may be a consequence of the sanctions that came into force in the summer and banned the transit of Russian LNG from the EU to other countries, but not its import by EU countries.

This has probably led to a shift in trade routes and, in particular, to the use of terminals with sufficient throughput, such as the one in Rotterdam, Dutch Energy Minister Sophie Hermans said in a letter to the country's parliament.

“We want… to reduce imports of Russian gas, and therefore this development is worrying and undesirable,” Hermans explained, stressing that “a common European approach (to the problem) is crucial.”