Russian LNG Imports to EU Hit Record High Amid Calls for Embargo

Imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) into the European Union reached a record level in 2024, marking a 19.3 percent increase compared to the previous year. Environmental organizations Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH), Urgewald, Razom We Stand, and Bond Beter Leefmilieu are calling for a bloc-wide embargo on Russian LNG.

The German state-owned company SEFE played a central role, purchasing 4.1 million tons of gas across 58 deliveries. This volume is more than sixfold compared to 2023, when the company acquired 880,000 tons in 12 deliveries. In 2023, Russian LNG accounted for an estimated minimum of 3 percent and a worst-case scenario of up to 9.2 percent of Germany's total gas imports.

Sascha Müller-Kraenner, federal managing director of DUH, highlighted that the EU continues to import Russian LNG over a thousand days after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He urged the German government to urgently change its course and advocate for a European embargo, stating, "This is indispensable from a security and climate policy perspective." Müller-Kraenner added that expanding renewable energy is key to achieving stable and more affordable energy independence.

Other environmental groups, including Svitlana Romanko from Razom We Stand and Angelos Koutsis from Bond Beter Leefmilieu, expressed concern that the EU simultaneously supports Ukraine while indirectly funding Russia's war efforts through LNG purchases. They called for traceability in LNG imports to identify the true country of origin and help the EU meet its climate goals.