Despite Western sanctions and declining pipeline supplies, Russia has retained its global lead in gas exports at the end of 2023, with Qatar and the US in second and third place, according to a report by the International Gas Union (IGU).
According to the IGU report, Russia, Qatar, the US, Norway, Australia and Qatar were the top five largest gas exporters in 2023 in terms of pipeline and LNG deliveries. Russia led the way with 139 billion cubic metres of supplies. Qatar supplied 128 billion cubic metres of gas to the world market, while the US supplied 127 billion cubic metres. Norway exported 120 billion cubic metres and Australia rounded out the top five suppliers with 110 billion cubic metres.
In addition, Russia was still the second largest exporter of pipeline gas in the world in 2023. Most exports went to China (26 billion cubic metres), Turkey (21 billion cubic metres) and Belarus (18 billion cubic metres).
China became the largest net importer with a deficit of 160 billion cubic metres, the IGU said. It is followed by Japan (91 billion cubic metres), Germany (77 billion cubic metres), Mexico (64 billion cubic metres) and South Korea (61 billion cubic metres). In addition, Beijing overtook Tokyo as the largest importer of liquefied natural gas in 2023.
We will remind, earlier the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin said that Russia is going through a difficult period in the Russian history. He emphasised that in the emerging conditions of the new global reality, ‘someone is striving’ to preserve its fading hegemony through Russia.
Zelenskyy admitted that many countries would not come to the summit on Ukraine without Russian Federation