Europeans Fuel Putin's War Machine as LNG Imports Soar
A staggering €7.2 billion (£6.2 billion) was earned by Russia from exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the EU last year, according to new data. The Kremlin's lucrative trade with Europe has sparked accusations that European governments are inadvertently fueling Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.
Despite Brussels' pledge to ban Russian LNG imports by 2027, analysis suggests the vast quantities of supercooled gas continue to flow through European ports, with over 15 million tonnes transported last year. The EU's share of global shipments from Russia's Yamal LNG complex increased to 76.1% in the last year, a rise from 75.4% in 2024.
The UK-based shipping company Seapeak forms the logistical backbone for Yamal LNG, transporting 37.3% of its cargo, while Greece's Dynagas comes second with 34.3%. Eleven out of 14 specialist ice-breaking Arc7 tankers that transport LNG from Yamal are owned by Seapeak and Dynagas.
The EU's reluctance to ban Russian shipments of LNG has been driven in part by the dependency of central and eastern Europe on energy sources, particularly gas. However, critics argue that complicity with Russia's energy profits is morally equivalent to funding the war machine.
"This is the logistics lung for Russia's largest LNG terminal," said Sebastian Rötters, an energy and sanctions campaigner at Urgewald. "Every cargo that offloads at an EU terminal is a direct deposit into a war chest that fuels the slaughter in Ukraine. We must stop providing the oxygen for Russia's energy profits and shut the Yamal loophole now."
Russia's Yamal plant relies on access to EU ports and ice-breaking LNG tankers of the Arc7 class, which were built specifically for the project. The ships would have to accept significantly longer transport routes if they did not have unloading or reloading opportunities in EU ports.
In 2025, a record 87 ships delivered 6.3 million tonnes of LNG to French ports, making France the largest importer. Despite this, the UK has announced plans to transition towards a ban on providing maritime services for vessels carrying Russian LNG by the end of the year.
As Europe struggles with the moral implications of its energy dependence on Russia, the clock is ticking on meeting the promised deadline to phase out Russian gas imports. The question remains whether Brussels will ultimately follow through on its pledge or continue to rely on LNG as a vital lifeline for its economy.
A staggering €7.2 billion (£6.2 billion) was earned by Russia from exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the EU last year, according to new data. The Kremlin's lucrative trade with Europe has sparked accusations that European governments are inadvertently fueling Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.
Despite Brussels' pledge to ban Russian LNG imports by 2027, analysis suggests the vast quantities of supercooled gas continue to flow through European ports, with over 15 million tonnes transported last year. The EU's share of global shipments from Russia's Yamal LNG complex increased to 76.1% in the last year, a rise from 75.4% in 2024.
The UK-based shipping company Seapeak forms the logistical backbone for Yamal LNG, transporting 37.3% of its cargo, while Greece's Dynagas comes second with 34.3%. Eleven out of 14 specialist ice-breaking Arc7 tankers that transport LNG from Yamal are owned by Seapeak and Dynagas.
The EU's reluctance to ban Russian shipments of LNG has been driven in part by the dependency of central and eastern Europe on energy sources, particularly gas. However, critics argue that complicity with Russia's energy profits is morally equivalent to funding the war machine.
"This is the logistics lung for Russia's largest LNG terminal," said Sebastian Rötters, an energy and sanctions campaigner at Urgewald. "Every cargo that offloads at an EU terminal is a direct deposit into a war chest that fuels the slaughter in Ukraine. We must stop providing the oxygen for Russia's energy profits and shut the Yamal loophole now."
Russia's Yamal plant relies on access to EU ports and ice-breaking LNG tankers of the Arc7 class, which were built specifically for the project. The ships would have to accept significantly longer transport routes if they did not have unloading or reloading opportunities in EU ports.
In 2025, a record 87 ships delivered 6.3 million tonnes of LNG to French ports, making France the largest importer. Despite this, the UK has announced plans to transition towards a ban on providing maritime services for vessels carrying Russian LNG by the end of the year.
As Europe struggles with the moral implications of its energy dependence on Russia, the clock is ticking on meeting the promised deadline to phase out Russian gas imports. The question remains whether Brussels will ultimately follow through on its pledge or continue to rely on LNG as a vital lifeline for its economy.
newsflash brussels: you can't just outsmart russia with ice-breaking tankers, it's all still connected to the energy market in some way!
. So Europeans are basically profiting from Putin's war machine and it's like, morally wrong to just keep shipping that gas 
. I get why they need the energy but can't we just find alternative sources? It feels like we're enabling Russia's aggression by keeping our wallets open ⏹.
. Are they aware of the implications of their actions? And what about the UK trying to ban maritime services for Russian LNG vessels? Will it make a difference in the end? It feels like we're running out of time 
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. If Europeans keep fueling Russia's war machine by importing all that LNG, it's going to be super hard to justify our actions when innocent lives are lost in Ukraine 
. I know some folks say Europe can't just cut off the energy supply and affect their economies, but I think we have to try 
I'm really concerned about Europe's reliance on Russian LNG and how it's fuelling Putin's war machine 
. And let's not forget about energy efficiency and reducing consumption in the first place 
. We can't just keep throwing money at a problem without addressing the root cause. It's time for Europe to take responsibility for its actions and make a change 
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and I'm low-key worried about it?! 
Like, the EU is all set to ban Russian imports by 2027 but they're still raking in €7.2 billion from LNG exports last year? That's some serious cash 
. And it gets even crazier when you see that 76.1% of global shipments from Russia's Yamal LNG complex are going straight to EU ports 
. Like, what's up with that?! 
Either way, it's getting real and we need to start thinking about our energy dependence on Russia ASAP 
. We can't let our love for gas cloud over our moral compass 
. i mean, who needs a ban when european countries can simply choose to invest in renewable energy sources and reduce their dependence on fossil fuels? it's not like it's going to break the bank or anything 
.
. we can't just rely on empty promises and delays - the clock is ticking, and the moral implications of doing nothing are too great 
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. Let's hope we can figure this out before it's too late 
The EU needs to step up its game and set some real consequences for those who support Putin's war machine 
15 million tonnes of LNG shipped last year, EU's share went up to 76.1% 
Time to stop fueling Putin's war machine 
2027 can't come soon enough, im tired of this energy dependence mess 
. Newsflash: it's not that easy. The fact that they're earning €7.2 billion from exporting LNG to Russia last year is a slap in the face to anyone who cares about Ukraine 
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. The reality is that these energy corporations will find a way to keep the money flowing, no matter what 
. While we're told it's all about energy security, I think this narrative conveniently glosses over the moral implications of our actions 
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. The clock is ticking, and I hope the EU will choose to do what's right rather than simply following the path of least resistance