Despite the European Union’s commitment to halting all imports of Russian liquid natural gas (LNG) by next year, the Netherlands still sources about 12% of its LNG from Russia. This revelation comes from a recent report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), which highlights that the Netherlands is among five European nations, including Belgium, France, Spain, and Portugal, still importing Russian LNG. Notably, Belgium received 40% of its gas from Russia in the first quarter of this year.
Determining the precise volume of Russian LNG destined for the Dutch market proves challenging, as much of what arrives at Rotterdam harbor is intended for other European nations. However, Jilles van den Beukel from The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies expressed surprise at the scale of imports, describing it as “much larger than I had expected.” Although the Netherlands’ reliance on Russian gas has decreased since 2025, when 13% was sourced from Russia, and significantly dropped compared to the 34% recorded in 2022 during the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, the current figures demonstrate a significant dependency.
The uptick in imports observed in 2025 is largely attributed to long-term purchasing contracts that are not easily dissolvable, according to climate and green growth minister Sophie Hermans. In light of this ongoing reliance, the IEEFA is urging European nations to bolster efforts in reducing gas consumption by investing in renewable energy sources. Such initiatives could potentially cut Europe’s gas consumption by 14% by 2030, which would lead to a 23% reduction in demand.
The EU plans to enforce a ban on Russian natural gas imports by sea starting in 2027, with pipeline imports to cease next spring. To compensate, the Netherlands and other European countries have turned to the United States, which now supplies 77% of their imports. However, the geopolitical tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage for 20% of the world’s liquid gas supplies, have complicated matters, affecting the EU’s gas strategies and driving up prices amid the conflict between Iran and the USA.
Jilles van den Beukel noted that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has challenged the EU’s resolve to discontinue Russian gas imports, suggesting that Brussels might consider pushing back the deadline for the ban. He remarked on the delicate balance between avoiding further tightening of the LNG market, which could lead to increased costs, and the desire to prevent bolstering Russia’s financial resources.