Belgium has become completely dependent on Russian gas

Most buyers on the continent are holding off on purchasing LNG for winter storage due to persistently high gas prices caused by shipping disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz, Bloomberg reports.

While Belgium's imports from Russia were also lower than earlier this year, these figures complicate energy policy in the European Union, which has imposed a ban on Russian LNG, effective next year.

Overall LNG supplies to Belgium—the fifth-largest importer of this fuel in Europe last year—fell by more than 40% in July compared to the same period last year. The country purchased approximately 0.4 million tons of the fuel from Russia. It also receives gas via pipelines from Norway and the UK.

EU member states were already expected to reduce their LNG purchases from Russia, as a ban on short-term agreements has been in effect since April, with a full ban set to take effect next year. Instead, supply volumes have surged as buyers sought alternatives to supplies from the Middle East.

According to the German non-profit Urgewald, in the first half of 2026, Europe received 16% more Russian LNG than last year, paying a total of €5.96 billion, with France, Belgium, and Spain leading the way.

Russia remains the second-largest LNG supplier to the EU after the US, and some experts are already questioning the wisdom of the ban if supply disruptions from the Middle East continue. Low gas inventories in Europe ahead of the upcoming winter – currently at their lowest level since 2009 – further complicate the situation.

Officials in Brussels currently state that the plan to ban Russian gas next year remains in place. Last month, the 27-nation bloc granted an exemption for the transportation of Russian LNG to third countries, reducing the risk to global supplies.

The last time Russia was Belgium's sole LNG supplier was in early 2021, when European economies were just beginning to recover from the Covid pandemic and before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Photo: Dynagas.