Europe Fears Energy Dependence Will Shift from Russia to the US

Europe is worried about becoming too dependent on the United States after halting its use of energy from Russia, The New York Times has reported. According to the newspaper, American energy suppliers currently account for about two-thirds of Europe’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply. That share is expected to rise to 80 per cent by the end of the decade. Europe has significantly increased fuel imports, particularly from the United States. This situation has raised concerns among defence and energy leaders, who believe that by abandoning Russian gas, Europe is granting Washington excessive influence over its domestic energy policies, the report said. In January, the EU Council approved regulations to phase out imports of Russian LNG and pipeline gas. The ban on short-term LNG contracts will take effect on 25 April 2026, while long-term contracts will be affected from 1 January 2027. Meanwhile, the ban on pipeline gas imports will apply to short-term contracts from 17 June 2026 and is scheduled to take effect for long-term contracts on 1 November 2027. Russia has previously stated that Western countries made a major mistake by halting purchases of Russian hydrocarbons. Moscow argues that this policy will create a new, stronger dependency due to higher energy prices. Russia also believes that countries refusing to buy energy directly will still obtain Russian oil and gas through intermediaries at a higher cost.