The Dutch Prime Minister has declined to purchase Russian gas, yet the European Union continues to rely on Russian natural gas supplies.

Mouths condemn, actions continue: Russian gas still accounts for 12% of EU gas demand by 2026

Dutch Prime Minister Rutte stated, “Procuring energy from Russia is a foolish idea. Europeans have demonstrated over the past few years that we can do without Russian fossil fuels. I can assure you that no European leader will be willing to purchase Russian natural gas in the coming years. We hope Russia ends this war.”

By 2026, at least seven EU member states will still be receiving Russian natural gas in practice.

Nations continuing to receive pipeline gas from Russia under existing contracts include Hungary, Slovakia, and Greece, primarily transported via the TurkStream pipeline. The Agency for Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) has identified these three countries as the main EU members retaining long-term Russian pipeline gas contracts.

By 2026, Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) will still be unloaded at terminals in France, Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands. ACER explicitly lists these four countries as destinations receiving Russian LNG under long-term contracts. Portugal also imported Russian LNG during the first quarter of 2026.

Overall, Russian natural gas is expected to meet approximately 12% of the EU’s total gas demand in 2026.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1880352744599556/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.