The European Commission did not propose a ban on Russian liquefied natural gas in its latest package of sanctions because member states raised concerns about first securing alternatives including from the United States,

Energy ministers from Belgium, France and Spain, whose ports receive shipments from Russian LNG tankers, have insisted that very little of the gas arriving is used domestically and that most is piped on to other EU countries. In November, Germany ordered its state-operated import terminals to reject any Russian LNG cargoes.

Germany's imports of Russian liquified natural gas (LNG) via other EU countries continue to rise despite restrictions on direct shipments, the Financial Times wrote on Jan. 28, citing a report by Belgian,