Russia is again supplying more natural gas to Europe than the USA

picture-alliance/dpa/POOL | Kristina Kormilitsyna / Rainer Keuenhof

With “Freedom Gas,” the USA wanted to free its European allies from Russian energy dependence. But current data shows that the Putin regime has even been able to expand its position as Europe's energy supplier. An extension for Ukraine transit is also in sight.

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Russia is again supplying more natural gas to Europe

The change is not great, but the symbolism is huge: Russia is once again the second largest gas supplier to the European Union. According to current figures from the renowned political and management consultancy Bruegel, delivery volumes from Russia in the second quarter of this year are once again ahead of those from the USA.

Russia last held second place in the market behind Norway in the third quarter of 2022, also shortly after the start of the attack on Ukraine. At that time, deliveries from the now-destroyed Nord Stream Baltic Sea pipeline still contributed to the delivery volume. Now Russia is in second place even without Nord Stream. Russian natural gas accounted for around 17 percent of European imports in the second quarter.

Where does Europe’s natural gas come from?

According to Bruegel, the USA shipped 12.27 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by tanker to customers in the EU in the second quarter of this year. Russia delivered slightly more, at around 12.73 billion cubic meters (bcm). Moscow uses three delivery routes: In addition to tanker loads of liquefied natural gas (LNG), 4.1 billion cubic meters came to the European Union via the Ukraine transit, which is still functioning.

Deliveries via the Black Sea pipeline “Turkstream”, financed by Gazprom, have also increased, transporting about a third more than in the same period last year.