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Europe prepares to end Russian LNG imports under Jan. 1 deadline

Europe has increased fuel imports, with U.S. producers supplying about two-thirds of European LNG, potentially rising to as much as 80 percent by the end of the decade, as energy leaders worry about greater leverage from Washington.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Trade & Tariffs

Europe is approaching a key milestone in its effort to move away from Russian gas, with the European Union set to end the last of its Russian liquefied natural gas imports by Jan. 1, according to the NYT Business. The shift is intended to reduce the Kremlin's ability to use energy exports to finance its war.

To adjust to the supply change, Europe has boosted fuel imports, especially from the United States, with American LNG now supplying about two-thirds of Europe's LNG, the report says. The share could climb further to as much as 80 percent by the end of the decade.

The NYT Business notes that LNG is supercooled to liquefy it for sea transport in specialized tankers. It also points to strains in U.S.-Europe relations, including tariff threats, demands related to Greenland, and disagreements tied to the U.S. decision to wage war with Iran.

Energy and defense leaders expressed anxiety that while Europe is leaving a Russian gas monopoly, it could end up with increased dependence on American policy, potentially giving Washington outsized leverage over European energy decisions. A former senior NATO commander, Gen. Sir Richard Shirreff, said the relationship has been massively fractured and that building dependence on America at a time like this is not clever, per the report.

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