The European Union began to buy more Russian gas due to the war in Iran

European Union countries have begun to more often purchase liquefied natural gas from the Yamal LNG enterprise, which is owned by the Russian Novatek, writes the Financial Times, citing data from the research group Kpler and the environmental organization Urgewald.

In the first three months of 2026, the EU purchased 5 million tons of gas from Yamal LNG - 17% more than in the same period last year. European countries could spend about 2.88 billion euros on this.

More than a third of the gas purchased was delivered to Europe in March, the first month of the war in Iran. At the same time, Qatari gas imports have dropped sharply due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian drone strikes on energy infrastructure in the Middle East.

Yamal LNG itself, which accounts for the vast majority of Russian gas imports to Europe, has benefited from the surge in prices on global energy markets. In March, the average cost of one megawatt of gas per hour (about 100 cubic meters) was 52.87 euros - 66% more than in January and February.

Despite the decline in global supplies, Brussels still plans to completely abandon Russian gas. The corresponding ban should come into force in 2027. At the same time, the success of the project depends on gas supplies from other countries, including Qatar, Bloomberg previously noted .

Now more than two-thirds of gas imported into Europe comes from the United States, this is the highest level of dependence on American supplies in the entire history of the union.