Moscow, Russia. The Russian government will meet soon to discuss stopping gas exports to Europe, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Thursday. President Vladimir Putin said a day earlier that Russia could halt supplies amid a spike in energy prices linked to the Iran crisis.
Government discussions and EU measures
Putin said the possible decision, which he said had not been taken yet, was linked to the European Union’s desire to ban purchases of Russian gas and liquefied natural gas.
Novak told reporters that the government would meet soon, as instructed by the president, to discuss the current situation with energy companies and possible transport routes for Russia’s energy supplies. He said Russia would discuss the issue with energy companies and assess how to deploy Russian resources most profitably.
Supply to Europe and export routes
Russian gas sales to Europe have fallen sharply since 2022 because of sanctions related to the war in Ukraine.
Russia is the second-largest supplier of LNG to the European Union and still sells gas via the Black Sea TurkStream pipeline to countries including Hungary, Slovakia and non-EU member Serbia.
Novak said Russian gas accounted for more than 12% of European supply.
Eurostat data on imports
According to Eurostat, Russia’s share of EU imports of pipeline gas dropped from around 40% in 2021 to around 6% in 2025. For pipeline gas and LNG combined, Russia accounted for around 13% of total EU gas imports in 2025.
Eurostat data also showed Russia’s share of EU imports of LNG decreased to 16% in 2025 from 21% in 2021.
How could a halt in Russian gas exports affect energy supplies in your country?
