Europe struggles to rid itself of its dependence on Russian gas.

The EU is gradually increasing the share of Russian gas in total gas imports. After the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, this share collapsed, but over the past year, it has grown again, according to Bloomberg.

In the first quarter of 2022, the share of Russian supplies was 34% and was the largest among all suppliers (Norway was in second place with 25%), and in the second quarter of 2023, Russian gas accounted for only 14% of imported fuel. However, in the first quarter of this year, the share of Russian gas increased to 19%. Regarding the supply volume to Europe, Russia is only behind Norway (34%) and the US (20%).

Most Russian gas comes through pipelines that cross Ukraine and Turkey. Among the largest buyers are Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary. Spain, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands import Russian liquefied natural gas by tanker. Some of it is mixed with gas from other sources in the European pipeline network, potentially reaching Germany, despite its pledge to avoid Russian gas.