The world's imports of liquefied natural gas are set to jump to the highest in a year in January as Europe's winter demand draws cargoes away from top-consuming region Asia.

Germany's imports of Russian liquified natural gas (LNG) via other EU countries continue to rise despite restrictions on direct shipments, the Financial Times wrote on Jan. 28, citing a report by Belgian,

Energy ministers from Belgium, France and Spain, whose ports receive shipments from Russian LNG tankers, have insisted that very little of the gas arriving is used domestically and that most is piped on to other EU countries. In November, Germany ordered its state-operated import terminals to reject any Russian LNG cargoes.

Separate from LNG, the sanctions package will propose penalties on more aging oil-exporting tankers operating as part of Russia's so-called shadow fleet, the diplomats added. The EU will target 74 new vessels, two other EU diplomats said.

Tankers carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) are increasingly changing course in the Atlantic and heading to European ports. This shift results from growing gas demand in Europe, triggered by the loss of Russian pipeline supplies through Ukraine and cooler weather,