Russia’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies to the European Union reached a record high in March, following the suspension of shipments from the Middle East due to ongoing military conflicts.

From January to March, EU imports of Russian LNG totaled approximately 6.8 billion cubic meters, up from 5.7 billion cubic meters during the same period last year, according to TASS calculations based on data from the European think tank Bruegel, The Caspian Post reports.

In March alone, Russian LNG deliveries to Europe reached 2.46 billion cubic meters, marking an all-time monthly high.

Bruegel reported that Europe’s total LNG imports in March hit 14.1 billion cubic meters, also setting a record. In the first quarter of 2026, the EU’s LNG purchases grew 10% year-on-year to 39.2 billion cubic meters.

LNG supplies from the United States and Trinidad and Tobago to the EU increased by 8% in March compared to February, reaching a new record of 8.3 billion cubic meters. For the January-March period, imports from these countries rose 23% to 23.9 billion cubic meters.

Since the start of the year, the EU also imported around 4.2 billion cubic meters of LNG from Africa and 2.5 billion cubic meters from the Middle East.

Regarding Russian LNG supplies to Europe, the EU Council approved a ban on imports starting January 1, 2027, with pipeline gas restricted from September 30, 2027. Certain measures take effect earlier: short-term LNG contracts will be banned from April 25, 2026, and short-term pipeline gas agreements must conclude by June 17, 2026.

In 2025, Russian LNG deliveries to the EU declined by 5.6% to 20.3 billion cubic meters, placing Russia fourth in EU gas imports behind Norway, the United States, and Algeria.

President Vladimir Putin noted that, given the EU’s plans to phase out Russian gas, Russia may consider an early exit from the European market and redirect supplies to other buyers showing greater demand.