Dependence on Russian gas in Europe 2021, by country

For North Macedonia, Moldova, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Russia was the only source of natural gas supply in 2019. Another European country highly dependent on Russian gas was Latvia, where it occupied over 90 percent of the total in 2021. In Estonia, the portion of natural gas from Russia was significantly lower, measured at 12 percent. Russia accounted for over 39 percent of all extra-EU gas imports in 2021.

How much natural gas does Russia export?

Russia is the leading exporter of natural gas worldwide, far outpacing the exports of that commodity by the United States, Qatar, and Norway. In 2021, the country exported 201.7 billion cubic meters of gas via pipelines and 39.6 billion cubic meters of liquified natural gas (LNG). The exports increased continuously between 2014 and 2019, while the year 2020 saw a four percent decline in the volume as a result of a lower fuel demand during imposed lockdowns and slower economic activity due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Russian gas exports during the war in Ukraine

Exports of Russian gas to Europe were severely affected by the invasion of Ukraine which began in February 2022. In response to the war, European countries sought to reduce their reliance on Russian gas. Between January 1 and July 15, 2022, the Russian company Gazprom exported over 33 percent less gas to the far abroad compared to the same period of the previous year. Furthermore, Germany announced the suspension of the certification process for Nord Stream 2, while Russia shut down all gas supplies via Nord Stream 1 in September 2022, before leaks were detected on both pipelines. Gas exports from Russia to India and China also did not increase in monetary terms in July and August 2022 in comparison to February and March 2022.