EU plans faster phaseout of Russian LNG under Trump pressure
Russian LNG accounts for 19% of European imports (illustrative photo: Getty Images)
The European Union plans to accelerate the phase-out of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) due to pressure from US President Donald Trump. Several options for speeding up the withdrawal are being considered, Bloomberg reports.
According to the publication, the European Commission is considering including provisions on the gradual cessation of Russian LNG imports in the next sanctions package. The proposal is to stop imports by the end of 2027 completely, and the new package may be submitted for consideration on September 19.
Another option being considered is the rejection of Russian LNG through amendments to the RePowerEU plan — an initiative aimed at ending Europe's dependence on Russian energy resources.
Refusal of Russian LNG via RePowerEU may be a better option, since sanctions could potentially be lifted in the future, while rejection through the initiative would be a permanent measure. In addition, voting on RePowerEU will be conducted by a qualified majority, which would prevent a blocking of the decision to abandon Russian fuel.
Currently, Russian LNG supplies still account for 19% of the EU's total gas imports. The largest importers are Spain, Belgium, and France. The United States has repeatedly stated that it is ready to fully replace Russia in the European LNG market, particularly given that the EU already imports tens of billions of dollars' worth of American gas annually.
Trump and the situation with Russian energy resources
US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, continues to complain about Europe — in his view, it is buying too much Russian oil. This, he says, prevents him from ending the war in Ukraine.
Trump also links the introduction of new sanctions against Russia to NATO countries stopping their purchases of Russian oil. Even before this, he had actively criticized the EU for "not tough enough" sanctions against Russia.
The EU has stated that it plans to accelerate the rejection of Russian energy resources significantly. However, the unfortunate reality is that the bloc is unlikely to be able to give up Russian oil and gas even by 2027.
