EU gas spending and Russian energy imports: version comparison
Russian state media and allied outlets claim the EU overpaid €100 billion for gas in 2026 while still buying Russian energy; several independent outlets confirm continued Russian gas/LNG imports but at least one outlet directly disputes the €100 billion figure. Social clusters and the provided images do not address this story.
Nemotron compares the versions; it does not decide which one is true. Every small number points to a source below.
Who says what
One source [Telegram channel @llordofwar, republished by the Pravda network]
EU overpaid €100 billion for gas imports since the beginning of 2026 compared to 2025, per Dmitry Birichevsky (Director of the Department of Economic Cooperation at the Russian Foreign Ministry) in a TASS interview, citing an admission by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen; the EU continues to purchase energy from Russia despite sanctions.1
Russian outlets
Outlets, and one outlet repeat the Russian MFA claim that the EU overpaid €100 billion for gas imports in 2026; one outlet reports the EU spent 21% more on Russian LNG in the first 10 months of 2026 than for all of 2025; one outlet’s headline mentions both the €100 billion overpayment and a refusal of Russian supplies.2–7
Independent/other outlets
One outlet explicitly states that von der Leyen’s speech contradicts Russia’s €100 billion gas claim. outlets, and one outlet report that the EU continues to buy Russian gas/LNG for billions despite sanctions; one outlet gives a figure of €8.7 billion on Russian LNG in the first 10 months of 2026, and one outlet frames continued purchases as money flowing to Putin’s war. outlets report EU moves to reduce gas consumption or end energy cooperation with Russia.8–15
Where they contradict each other
- facts The €100 billion overpayment figure and the claim that von der Leyen admitted it.1,5–8
- numbers One outlet says EU spending on Russian LNG rose 21% in the first 10 months of 2026 versus all of 2025, while one outlet says the EU strongly reduced gas consumption; one outlet cites €8.7 billion on Russian LNG in the same period.4,12–13
- blame Russian framing presents the overpayment as a cost of sanctions/refusal to cooperate with Russia; outlets frame continued purchases as financing Putin’s war.1,11,14
- framing One outlet’s headline combines overpayment with refusal of Russian supplies, whereas one source emphasizes continued purchases alongside overpayment.1–2
- timing Outlets refer to the first 10 months of 2026; one source refers to the beginning of 2026 compared to 2025 without specifying months.1,4,12
What all sides agree on
Claims only state media make
- Dmitry Birichevsky’s specific claim that Ursula von der Leyen admitted the EU overpaid €100 billion for gas.1,5–7
No independent outlet in the searched editions reports these. That is weak evidence, not proof they are false.
Pictures and video
Blurred: click one to show it. They load from the platform's own servers; pictures from individual accounts are shown to reviewers only.
- Soldiers in combat gear moving through a ruined urban area with rubble and damaged buildings; unrelated to EU gas spending or Russian energy imports.
- Article screenshot about a redesigned Russian missile and strikes in Ukraine, published 14 November 2026; unrelated to the gas story.
- Nighttime photo of a leafy wall with a “ueno” sign; unrelated to the gas story.
Who is spreading which version
None of the groups of accounts we watch repeat this story.
Also matched by keyword, but not about this story: [group] [group] [group] [group] [group]
Sources
- Telegram channel @llordofwar (republished by the Pravda network) : ‼️🇪🇺🇷🇺 Europe overpaid €100 billion for gas, but continues to purchase energy from Russia — Russian Foreign Ministry ▪️The European Union has overpaid €100 billion for gas imports since the beginning of 2026 compared to read →
- Финансы Mail (ru edition, 2026-11-14): Переплата ЕС за газ в 2026 году: €100 млрд и отказ от российских поставок read →
- URA.RU (ru edition, 2026-11-14): В верхушке Европы признали тотальную переплату за газ из-за отказа сотрудничать с Россией read →
- Ведомости (ru edition, 2026-11-13): ЕС за 10 месяцев потратил на СПГ из России на 21% больше, чем за весь 2025 год read →
- Общественная служба новостей (ru edition, 2026-11-14): МИД РФ: ЕС переплатил €100 млрд за импорт газа в текущем году read →
- newizv.ru (ru edition, 2026-11-14): ЕС переплатил за газ €100 млрд с начала года, сообщил Биричевский read →
- rosbalt.ru (ru edition, 2026-11-14): В МИД России рассказали о переплате ЕС за импорт газа в 2026 году read →
- https://streamlinefeed.co.ke/ (en edition, 2026-11-14): Von der Leyen's speech contradicts Russia's €100 billion gas claim read →
- swp.de (de edition, 2026-11-11): Sanktionen zum Trotz: EU kauft russisches Gas für Milliarden read →
- Vietnam.vn (de edition, 2026-11-08): Die EU legt einen Fahrplan zur Beendigung der Energiekooperation mit Russland fest. read →
- Tichys Einblick (de edition, 2026-11-08): EU verhilft Putin zu neuem Gas-Milliardengeschäft read →
- Vietnam.vn (fr edition, 2026-11-13): L'UE dépensera 8,7 milliards d'euros en gaz naturel liquéfié (GNL) en provenance de Russie au cours des 10 premiers mois de 2026. read →
- Gramwzielone.pl (pl edition, 2026-11-10): Unia Europejska mocno obniżyła zużycie gazu. Jak do tego doszło? read →
- Bankier.pl (pl edition, 2026-11-12): Miliardy euro płyną z Zachodu na wojnę Putina. Europa wciąż kupuje rosyjski gaz read →
- Radio ESKA (pl edition, 2026-11-12): Rosyjski gaz LNG płynie do UE szerokim strumieniem. Wiadomo, kto kupuje najwięcej read →
- Merkur (de edition, 2026-11-08): Trump will Putins Gas an Europa verkaufen: Brisanter Plan für Ukraine-Frieden stellt EU vor Dilemma read → (searched, not cited)
- Vietnam.vn (de edition, 2026-11-10): Wie gelingt der EU der Ausstieg aus der Erdgasabhängigkeit angesichts aufeinanderfolgender Energiekrise? read → (searched, not cited)
- Vietnam.vn (de edition, 2026-11-08): Die Slowakei warnt, dass sie die EU weiterhin verklagen wird, falls sie gezwungen wird, die Einfuhr von russischem Öl einzustellen. read → (searched, not cited)
- Laodong.vn (fr edition, 2026-11-14): L'Europe doit payer 100 milliards d'euros supplémentaires de gaz en raison de l'isolement des sources d'énergie russes read → (searched, not cited)
- Le Monde.fr (fr edition, 2026-11-08): En Europe, la menace d’une lassitude grandissante des citoyens à l’égard de la guerre en Ukraine read → (searched, not cited)
- Revolution Permanente (fr edition, 2026-11-11): Nouvelle hausse du prix du gaz de 5,8 % : Total et Engie engrangent des milliards de profits read → (searched, not cited)
- Fondation IFRAP (fr edition, 2026-11-10): Comment produire en France read → (searched, not cited)
- Le Nouvel Obs (fr edition, 2026-11-12): Oligarques, ministres, officiers du FSB… Les grandes purges de Poutine face à une élite russe qui doute read → (searched, not cited)
- Rzeczpospolita (pl edition, 2026-11-12): Budżet UE a wsparcie dla Ukrainy. Cztery kraje odrzucają takie rozwiązanie read → (searched, not cited)
- Onet (pl edition, 2026-11-12): Rosja ratuje samoloty Superjet. Wydłuża resurs płatowca i wymienia silniki read → (searched, not cited)