On May 1, Ukraine made a powerful move. The country placed tough sanctions on Novatek, a major Russian gas company. This decision was signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and targeted not just Novatek itself, but also 18 of its key business partners.
These include major projects like Yamal LNG, Arctic LNG 2, and Murmansk LNG. The sanctions also cover international traders in places like Switzerland and Singapore that help sell Novatek’s gas to the rest of the world.
Novatek is Russia’s second-largest gas company. It plays a huge role in selling liquefied natural gas, or LNG, a super-cold form of gas that is shipped around the globe by sea. Ukraine’s sanctions aim to stop Novatek from continuing this trade, especially with Western countries.
The message from Ukraine is clear: buying gas from Novatek means helping fund Russia’s war. And yet, while Ukraine has taken action, many Western countries still continue to import Russian LNG through Novatek. In fact, in 2023 and 2024, countries like France, Spain, and Belgium increased their purchases.
This shows a painful truth: while Ukraine fights for its survival, some of its allies are still buying gas from the very country that’s attacking it.
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The Hidden Dangers of Novatek’s Gas
Novatek may look like a business, but it’s closely tied to Russia’s government and military. Its gas helps power factories that build weapons. The company has also supported soldiers and war operations directly. Even Novatek’s private guards have reportedly been sent to fight in Ukraine.
In addition to helping the war, Novatek is expanding Russia’s reach in the Arctic. This region is important because it’s rich in fossil fuels but also extremely fragile. In 2024 alone, nearly 300 ships left the Arctic loaded with Novatek’s LNG. Each ship carried tens of thousands of tonnes of gas. These exports bring Russia billions in profit, much of which goes back into its military and global propaganda efforts.
Despite sanctions from the U.S. in the past, Novatek has managed to keep selling gas. It does this by working through smaller companies in other countries and using ships with unclear ownership. This allows the gas to reach global markets without anyone clearly seeing its Russian origin.
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Even after some U.S. sanctions stopped progress on Arctic LNG 2, Novatek found ways to restart it using help from Chinese partners. All of this shows how easily the company can dodge punishment unless more countries act together.
Europe’s Gas Imports Undermine Its Own Promises
After the Nord Stream pipeline explosions in 2022, Europe started moving away from Russian gas. It even stopped most imports from Gazprom, Russia’s biggest gas supplier. But somehow, LNG from Novatek continues to flow into Europe. This contradicts the EU’s own REPowerEU plan, which promises to stop all Russian fossil fuel imports by 2027.
New rules passed in March 2025 even ban the transfer of Russian LNG in European ports. But without full sanctions on companies like Novatek, these rules are not enough. Novatek’s trading companies in Europe and Asia are still operating, helping move the gas from Russia into Western markets.
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Experts say the EU already has everything it needs to stop buying Russian LNG. It has cleaner energy options, new technologies, and policies to reduce gas use. Yet many countries are slow to act. They keep signing long-term contracts and delaying change, even as Ukraine continues to suffer.
These gas deals don’t just harm Ukraine—they also go against Europe’s climate promises. Every shipment of LNG from Russia adds to pollution and delays the move to cleaner energy. But more importantly, it sends money back to a country that’s using it to wage war.
Ukraine has shown leadership by targeting Novatek and its global operations. The question now is whether its allies will match that courage. So far, they have not.
