MOSCOW - The EU recorded its highest level of gas imports from Russia in two years this January, purchasing a total of 1.9 billion euros (approximately 2.08 billion US dollars) worth of pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG), TASS news agency reported Wednesday.

According to Eurostat data and TASS calculations, the EU imported 1.07 billion euros (1.17 billion dollars) worth of Russian LNG, marking a 17 percent increase from December 2024 and a 57 percent surge compared to January 2024. This was the highest expenditure on Russian LNG since January 2023, when purchases exceeded 1.3 billion euros (1.42 billion dollars).

France led the imports, purchasing 455 million euros (497 million dollars) worth of LNG, followed by Spain at 261.5 million euros (285 million dollars), and Belgium at 256.7 million euros (280 million dollars). The Netherlands also raised its Russian LNG imports by 1.6 percent from December 2024, reaching 100 million euros (109 million dollars).

In January, the EU's imports of Russian pipeline gas totaled 833 million euros (911 million dollars), just 10 percent below December 2024 levels, despite the complete halt of gas transit through Ukraine.