Russian Arctic LNG imports defy EU sanctions with 18% surge

The influx of 8.3 million tonnes of gas highlights a widening gap between Brussels' restrictive policy and the reality of energy trade. While the European Union implemented a formal ban on short-term contracts this March to throttle Russian supply, the measure has failed to curb the volume of energy reaching European terminals.

Sebastian Rötters, a campaigner at Urgewald, argues that the current sanctions regime remains largely ineffective. The surge suggests that existing regulatory loopholes allow tankers to bypass the intent of the restrictions, as the volume of gas flowing from the Arctic North continues to accelerate rather than decline.