A recent energy market study reveals that, for the first time in nearly two years, the European Union imported more natural gas from Russia than from the United States during a single quarter, DPA reported. Between April and June, the EU purchased over 12.7 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia, slightly surpassing the 12.3 billion cubic meters bought from the US, according to data from the Brussels-based think tank Bruegel.

While Russian gas supplies to the EU decreased slightly compared to the first quarter of 2024, US exports to Europe saw a sharper decline, the study noted. Norway remains the EU's largest gas supplier, delivering 23.9 billion cubic meters in the second quarter.

Prior to its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia was the EU's primary gas supplier. Following the invasion, many EU countries reduced their imports from Russia. Although Germany has reportedly ceased purchasing Russian gas altogether, Russia has regained its position as the EU's second-largest supplier, just ahead of the US. The study did not specify which EU countries were the primary recipients of Russian gas.

In an article published in Sunday's Welt newspaper, Norbert Röttgen, a foreign affairs expert from Germany's opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU), called for an EU-wide ban on Russian gas imports. He criticized the current situation where Europe supports Ukraine financially while continuing to buy gas from Russia, describing it as irresponsible and irrational.

Michael Kruse, the energy policy spokesman for Germany's Free Democratic Party (FDP), part of the ruling coalition, suggested that the EU should link each cubic meter of imported Russian gas to a fixed amount of aid and arms supplies to Ukraine. He argued that this approach would effectively make Putin pay for the resistance to his military aggression.