For the first time, Gazprom supplied more Russian gas to China than to Europe by the end of 2025.
According to preliminary data, Gazprom supplied 38.8 billion m3 of gas to China in 2025 (24.8% higher than in 2024). Thus, the company has exported more gas through pipelines to China than the total amount of gas exported to non-CIS European countries (including Turkey)" - Gazprom's statement stated.
The Russian gas corporation also increased gas supplies to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan by 22.2%, and to Georgia by 40.4%.
However, according to data released by the Bruegel Research Institute based in Brussels, Belgium, Russia is still the 4th largest gas supplier to the EU in 2025, exporting nearly 38 billion m3 to the EU.
Data shows that Russian companies exported about 37.99 billion m3 of gas to EU countries in 2025.
In another development related to Russian gas and the European gas market, on January 12, Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said that the EU should ban companies from providing any support to the Russian oil and gas transport fleet, impose sanctions on Russian fertilizers and stop exporting luxury goods to Russia.
Pressure on Russia must be increased" - Ms. Maria Malmer Stenergard said at the annual security conference in the town of Salen, western Sweden.
The Swedish Foreign Minister said that the next EU sanctions package should include a complete ban on European companies providing services to Russian oil, gas and coal ships.
No transportation, no loading and unloading of goods between ships, no insurance and no repair at the port" - she said.
According to the Swedish diplomat, the EU should also impose sanctions on Russian fertilizer exports, Russia's 3rd largest export item to the EU.
And we want to end the export of luxury goods from the EU to Russia. I am uncomfortable when wealthy consumers in Russia can wear expensive Italian clothing brands and drink premium French wines," she added.
The EU has imposed 19 sanctions packages on Russia since the conflict in Ukraine broke out in 2022. The 27-nation bloc is preparing its 20th sanctions package to punish Russia.
Previous sanctions against Russia focused heavily on weakening the country's oil and gas industry. The EU also imposed import tariffs on fertilizers from Russia in July last year. Russia produces more than 20% of the world's fertilizers and supplies about 25% of the EU's fertilizer imports.
