Russian gas still flowing to eight EU countries, Brussels confirms

Despite ongoing efforts to reduce dependency on Russian energy, eight European Union member states continue to import natural gas from Russia, a spokesperson for the European Commission, Anna-Kaisa Itkonen, confirmed during a briefing in Brussels.

According to the Commission’s representative, the countries currently receiving Russian gas are Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Portugal—mainly via the TurkStream pipeline and liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals—along with Greece, Slovakia, and Hungary, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

She also acknowledged a critical gap in the EU’s monitoring capabilities, noting that the European Commission lacks visibility over the ultimate destinations and consumption points of these gas supplies.

"We know where this gas is coming from, but we do not know where it ultimately ends up and is consumed," she said.

The spokesperson said that the industry would still need natural gas in the coming years, and that the volumes no longer purchased from Russia would have to be sourced elsewhere. She noted that the United States had already played an important role in 2022, when Russia cut off gas supplies to Europe and alternatives had to be found.

By Vafa Guliyeva