NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has pointed to Europe’s continued purchases of Russian energy while responding to criticism of a US-Russia diesel agreement.
Appearing on the Dutch talk show Pauw & De Wit on November 5, Rutte addressed European reactions to the diesel accord.
“I too raised an eyebrow in surprise […] Europe is no saint either, definitely not. We bought a huge amount of liquefied natural gas from Russia this year, far more than this diesel deal will ever bring in,” Rutte said.
The agreement, announced by US President Donald Trump on October 9 after a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saw Moscow lift its self-imposed ban on diesel exports. The US Treasury issued a temporary licence allowing sales of Russian diesel until April 7, 2027.
While acknowledging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s legitimate anger over funds indirectly reaching Moscow, Rutte stressed that Europe currently lacked the capability to supply the critical air defence interceptors and intelligence vital for Ukraine’s survival. That, he said, made American backing non-negotiable.
Rutte also noted that both the US and Russia were nuclear superpowers and that it was important both countries had a decent relationship.
The EU imported a record 12.18 million tonnes of Russian Arctic LNG in the first nine months of 2026, up 9.5% from 2025, according to Urgewald data published on October 9. https://t.co/Gb9uAu7MEn
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) October 12, 2026
The remarks coincide with figures from German environmental group Urgewald detailing the scale of the trade.
Based on Kpler shipping data, Urgewald reported that EU ports received 12.18 million tonnes of LNG from Russia’s Yamal project between January and September 2026, a 9.5 per cent increase on the same period of 2025.
The estimated cost of these shipments reached €7.88 billion.
The data comes ahead of the January 1, 2027 deadline, when the EU ban on Russian LNG is set to extend to existing long-term contracts. The bloc banned new Russian gas import contracts from March 18 and LNG imports under short-term contracts from April 25.
In a statement reacting to Rutte’s remarks, Urgewald sanctions campaigner Alexander Kirk said: “Rutte is right to draw attention to Europe’s purchases of Russian LNG. Our analysis puts the bill for Yamal gas alone at almost €8 billion in just nine months. Those billions should strengthen Europe’s resolve to end this trade.”
“Europe must hold the line this winter: no delays, no dilution, and no new exemptions that give this trade another lease of life.”
Meanwhile, the diesel agreement referenced by Rutte has encountered logistical challenges.
According to the Financial Times, two tankers carrying Russian diesel diverted from their planned US destinations following warnings to port operators regarding sanctions compliance.
The sanctioned Leruo changed its destination to Brazil on November 2, while the Talisman moved into the Mediterranean. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill had written to port and terminal operators in her state urging them to turn away Russian diesel cargoes.
A third vessel, the Agioi Fanendes, loaded with some 40,000 tonnes of diesel, was still heading towards New York, the newspaper reported.
Also in the interview, Rutte defended his diplomatic manoeuvring and praise of Trump, pointing towards the military might of the US and Trump’s success in forcing European countries to drastically ramp up defence spending.
At the NATO summit in The Hague in June 2025, allies agreed to raise defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP by 2035.
He described his mediating role in Davos in January regarding Trump’s demands on Greenland, after which Trump announced a “framework of a future deal” on the island and dropped threatened tariffs on European allies.
Rutte said possible Greenlandic independence, discussed before his intervention, had been on the table and could have had severe consequences for security in the region and for the US.
Rutte admitted that calling Trump “daddy” was a mistake he would “own for the rest of my life”.
The remark, made at The Hague summit, drew on the Dutch idiom that “father is angry” and referred to Trump’s frustration with Israel and Iran.
He noted that Trump subsequently turned it into T-shirts and a “Daddy’s Home” video clip after returning from The Hague summit.
