France becomes EU's top importer of Russian gas

France has become the largest importer of Russian gas in the European Union as of July, according to Eurostat data. French imports of Russian gas rose by 42% compared to the previous month and increased 2.1 times on an annual basis, reaching 364.9 million euros. These imports consist exclusively of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Other EU nations also showed varying trends in Russian gas consumption. Hungary ranked as the second-largest importer, primarily via pipelines, though its imports decreased by 22% from June. Greece followed in third place with imports totaling 132.4 million euros, a significant increase from the previous month.

While Belgium was the top importer in June, its position fell to fifth in July after reducing imports by nearly two-thirds. Other notable importers included Bulgaria, Slovakia, Spain, and the Netherlands, with varying monthly fluctuations in pipeline and LNG volumes.