Belgium’s imports of Russian gas have risen again, exceeding pre-war levels, according to data from the Belgian Ministry of Economy, highlighting a continued reliance on Russian energy despite EU sanctions efforts.
Official figures show that Russian gas accounted for more than 11% of Belgium’s total gas imports last year, a level comparable to 2019 consumption patterns and significantly higher than the post-2022 decline, when imports fell to around 5% following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
While Belgium has stopped receiving Russian gas via pipeline routes, imports of liquefied natural gas have increased, offsetting earlier reductions and effectively restoring Russian supply volumes to higher levels than in the immediate post-invasion period.
Last year, Belgium imported approximately 17.6 terawatt-hours of gas from Russia, a volume that not only surpasses recent years but also exceeds pre-sanctions import levels, according to the reported data.
One of the key contradictions highlighted in the reporting is the gap between EU policy goals and actual import patterns. “These data contradict the EU’s desire to cut off the income that Russia receives from energy exports,” the media noted, underscoring concerns that sanction regimes have not fully reduced Russian energy revenues in practice.
