In September, the European Union purchased pipeline gas from Russia for the maximum €840 million since February 2023, while imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) in value terms became the largest since April 2024, the TASS news agency reported citing Eurostat data.
European countries paid €839.9 million for pipeline gas from Russia in September, which is 30 per cent higher than in August 2024 and 36 per cent higher than in September 2023. This figure was the highest since February 2023, when more than €1bn was spent on paying for raw material supplies from Russia. The main importers were Italy (€315.5m), Hungary (€219.6m), Greece (€166.9m) and Slovakia (€125.5m).
In addition, the EU imported €547.8 million worth of Russian LNG in September, the highest since April 2024. France (€215.7m), Belgium (€130.5m) and the Netherlands (€93.5m) were the leading buyers of LNG from Russia. Spain, on the other hand, more than halved its LNG purchases from Russia compared to August, to €73.1m.
In total, EU countries paid €5.4bn for Russian pipeline gas in the first nine months of 2024, compared to €6.3bn in the same period a year earlier. The share of Russian gas supplies in the total volume of raw materials imported by Europe from countries outside the EU in September rose to 25.6% from 17.4% a month earlier.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia was going through a difficult period in Russian history. He emphasised that in the emerging conditions of the new global reality, “someone is seeking” to preserve its fading hegemony through Russia.
