Despite geopolitical tensions and efforts to reduce dependence on Russian energy, the European Union (EU) still spent up to 4.5 billion euros on Russian gas imports in the first quarter of 2025, up 28% over the same period last year, according to data from Eurostat and TASS calculations.
According to TASS, in the first 3 months of the year, the EU bought 1.8 billion euros of gases through pipes and 2.7 billion euros natural liquefied (LNG) from Russia. Although the gas flow through Ukraine has stopped completely from the beginning of the year, Russia still holds the second largest gas supplier of the EU calculated by value, accounting for 18.2% of the total imported gas, after the US (28.2%).
The EU's continued purchase of Russian gas at high prices has surprised observers, especially in the context of many member countries publicly condemning Russia's role in ongoing conflicts.
In March 2025, the EU spent 830 million euros on Russian LNG, down slightly by 0.3% compared to February but up 1.5 times compared to the same period in 2024.
France is the largest importer of Russian LNG (465 million euros - the highest level since the end of 2022), followed by the Netherlands (131 million euros) and Spain (41 million euros). Belgium has sharply reduced its purchases, to only 92 million euros - the lowest since November 2024.
Meanwhile, pipeline gas from Russia to the EU reached 340 million euros in March, the lowest since October 1999 - clearly reflecting the sharp decline in this traditional form of transportation.
In addition to Russia, US LNG supplies still play a major role. In the first quarter of 2025, the US supplied nearly 7 billion euros of LNG to the EU, accounting for 28.2% of the bloc's total gas imports. Algeria is third with 4 billion euros (16.3%), followed by Norway (3.1 billion euros, accounting for 12.5%) and Azerbaijan (1.3 billion euros, accounting for 5.3%).
Overall, the picture of European energy shows an intertwined dependence, where countries are both trying to shift away from Russian supply and cannot completely end it when demand remains high and replacement infrastructure is not yet ready.
Although European leaders have repeatedly called for less dependence on energy in Russia, actual figures show that the rear door remains open for gas trade especially in the form of LNG, which is not as tightly controlled as pipeline gas.
This situation puts the EU in a dilemma. If it completely cuts off Russian gas, many countries will face the risk of serious shortages, especially in the context of fluctuations in prices and global supply. But if it continues to import, the EU's political prestige and energy independence strategy will be questioned.
While the EU is trying to find its own path, the market reality still proves that "disconnecting" gas with Russia is not easy, at least in the short term.
