Even as European buyers reduced their reliance on pipeline gas from Russia, the country’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments to the European Union surged. By the end of 2023, LNG exports from Russia to the EU had risen by about 38 percent, a shift highlighted in a recent interview with the magazine Expert where Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak discussed the evolving energy landscape. (Source: Expert interview, 2024)
Novak noted that Russian companies delivered more than 15 million tons of LNG to the European Union during 2023. This growth in LNG supply occurred alongside a substantial retreat in pipeline gas flows, which declined by roughly fivefold over the same period. (Source: Expert interview, 2024)
The divergence between LNG and pipeline gas had a noticeable impact on Russia’s overall share of EU energy imports. In 2021, Moscow accounted for about 45 percent of all gas imports into the European Union; by 2023, that figure had fallen to around 15 percent. (Source: Expert interview, 2024)
Novak emphasized that European buyers have been steadily decreasing purchases of other Russian fuels. By the end of the year, the share of Russian oil in EU imports stood at approximately 4 percent, while oil products made up around 9 percent. These shifts reflect a broader realignment of energy trade patterns in response to price, supply, and policy considerations. (Source: Expert interview, 2024)
Industry observers point to LNG as a flexible and rapidly scalable option that helps maintain energy security and diversification for European markets amid reduced pipeline deliveries. LNG delivery chains allow for shipment from alternative sources and terminals, supporting a more dynamic gas market in the region. (Source: Expert interview, 2024)
Analysts also note that the EU’s long-term energy strategy includes deploying more LNG infrastructure, improving storage capacity, and enhancing demand-side measures to manage price volatility and supply risk. While this approach broadens choices for European consumers, it also intensifies competition among major LNG exporters, including purchasers from North America, the Middle East, and Asia. (Source: Expert interview, 2024)
In the broader geopolitical context, the evolving mix of LNG and pipeline gas underscores how trade policies, sanctions regimes, and market forces interact to shape energy flows. European decisions on projects, tariffs, and strategic reserves influence LNG import dynamics just as much as they affect pipeline arrangements. (Source: Expert interview, 2024)