An EU ban on Russian LNG is "risky undertaking," warns expert

An EU ban on Russian LNG would be a "risky undertaking" that could lead to supply shortages, Stanislav Mitrakhovich, an expert at the Moscow-based National Energy Security Fund, warned in a post on a Telegram channel.

"Supplies of LNG from Russia, of course, can be banned, but this will cause an additional shortage of gas in Europe," Mitrakhovich said on the Gaz-Batyushka Telegram channel. "Besides, if TotalEnergies has gas from Yamal LNG in its portfolio, is it Russian gas or not Russian gas."

TotalEnergies is a shareholder in the Novatek-operated Yamal LNG plant in the Russian Arctic, which has been a key supplier to the European market over the past year.

"Technically, with full storage and a decrease in demand, it is possible to prohibit purchases. But this is a risky undertaking," Mitrakhovich continued. "Especially if you are setting up for a cold winter. In Spain, for example, last year [Russian] LNG supplies increased by 100%."

EU countries agreed in late March on seeking a legal option to stop Russian companies from sending LNG to the bloc, by preventing them from booking infrastructure capacity. The European Commission has welcomed this move.