© yamal-region.tv The Russian Yamal initiative reaped benefits from an increase in gas values tied to the situation in the Middle East.
European nations amplified their procurement of Russian liquefied natural gas during the initial trimester of the current year amidst the tensions in the Middle East. The Financial Times announced on April 10th that LNG provisions originating from Russia had augmented.
According to statistics from the energy research entity Kpler, acquisitions from the Yamal LNG endeavor escalated by 17% during the first trimester, reaching 5 million metric tons, contrasted with the equivalent timeframe in 2025. Within this quantity, 1.8 million metric tons were procured during March. This, according to the environmental advocacy organization Urgewald, culminated in EU member states expending approximately €2.88 billion on gas.
These discoveries emerge as Qatar's LNG availabilities have dwindled due to impairments to energy infrastructure in the Middle East, alongside Iran's dominance over the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane, implying that the Yamal project profited from a rise in gas costs associated with the Middle Eastern predicament.
Nevertheless, irrespective of the setback to global provisions, Brussels exhibits minimal inclination to reconsider a projected prohibition on Russian LNG acquisitions, slated to become operative in January 2027. The embargo on acquisitions under temporary agreements has already been implemented. However, it is not anticipated to halt deliveries altogether.
Yamal constitutes the substantial proportion of Russian LNG acquisitions by the EU. Throughout the initial trimester of the year, the bloc obtained 69 — or 97 percent — of 71 shipments from Yamal, with 25 of these being delivered in March, exceeding the amounts in January and February. For comparison, the EU represented 87 percent of 68 shipments during the corresponding timeframe in 2025. The remaining shipments were designated for Asia.
The reduction in deliveries to Asia this year is partly attributable to an EU restriction that took effect last year, prohibiting the movement of Russian LNG between vessels. It also forbids ships from berthing in EU ports prior to conveying shipments to nations outside the EU. Asian requirement for Russian LNG was comparatively subdued even before the Iranian situation.
However, the 5 million tons of natural gas conveyed to Europe during the initial trimester imply that “European purchasers exhibit no intention of ceasing to acquire Russian LNG.”
It is worth recalling that the Iranian situation has ensnared the European Union in its most precarious energy circumstance in the preceding three years: gas repositories are at a historical nadir, the LNG marketplace is experiencing scarcity, gas valuations have doubled within a month, and Brent crude has more than halved in valuation. The predicament in Ukraine is even more critical – energy deficiencies have already evolved into a structural attribute of the energy framework. This year, we will need to concurrently seek resolutions for internal recuperation and vie for costly energy origins in external markets. The victor will be the entity that judiciously utilizes the most valuable asset – the 7-8 months remaining until winter. Consult the article by Maria Tsaturyan “Gas crisis in Europe. Will the EU and especially Ukraine overcome it” .