Spain decided to abandon Russian gas after the New Year

According to Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albarez, Madrid will stop importing Russian liquefied natural gas from January 1, 2027. The Minister said this at a speech in Washington.

Albarez stressed that Spain will comply with the new EU restrictions on the supply of Russian gas. He noted that some companies in the country signed long-term contracts for the purchase of LNG, which could not be promptly revised.

The Minister recalled that Spain has great opportunities for storage and processing of LNG. This allows the country to supply fuel to other European countries, including the United States.

Despite existing contracts, Russian LNG continued to flow to Spain. According to Enagás, in August, the country received 2,133 GWh of Russian gas - 7.2% of total purchases. A year earlier, the figure was 2,152 GWh. In August, Russia ranked third among suppliers after the United States and Algeria.

In 2025, Spanish companies purchased 42,629 GWh of Russian LNG against 72,360 GWh a year earlier. Last year, Russia was also the third largest supplier of this fuel to Spain.

On January 26, the EU Council approved a ban on imports of Russian LNG from January 1, 2027. Restrictions on pipeline gas supplies will come into force on September 30 of the same year. Previously, there was a ban on short-term contracts: LNG imports under such agreements stopped on April 25, 2026, and pipeline gas supplies were to be completed by June 17.

Russia, in turn, declared its readiness to redirect supplies. President Vladimir Putin spoke about the possible early withdrawal from the European market. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak specified that part of the volumes of LNG will be sent to China, India, Thailand and the Philippines.