The United States is urging Europe to cut off Russian gas as quickly as possible, according to EU Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jørgensen, following a meeting with US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright.
The US has expressed its willingness to supply Europe with the gas it needs, as highlighted by the American Secretary of Energy during their discussions, according to Jørgensen.
Nevertheless, the Danish commissioner insists that there will be no change to the EU Commission’s timeline, which targets a halt to Russian gas imports by 2028.
– This is already a very ambitious timeline, says Dan Jørgensen.
He notes that the EU Commission aims to end all short-term contracts by the year’s end.
– This means that one-third of the Russian gas we import will soon cease, he added.
– Exiting long-term contracts will naturally take longer, and we need to ensure that EU countries have alternatives, states Jørgensen.
The EU Commission’s strategy for a swift exit from Russian gas has encountered pushback from nations like Hungary, Slovakia, and Austria, which argue they lack ports and thus find it more challenging to import gas from other sources.
However, Jørgensen is optimistic that the proposal can be passed with a qualified majority.
If approved, the US is prepared to provide the necessary gas to Europe, as conveyed by the American Secretary of Energy to Jørgensen.
– The US is increasing their production capacity to boost exports, notes Jørgensen.
However, the responsibility for energy purchases lies with individual countries, not the EU Commission or Jørgensen himself.
The EU Commission has committed to ensuring that EU countries maintain energy security while phasing out Russian gas.
– Our role is to facilitate and address any legislative challenges that may arise, says Jørgensen.
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