German media: US and EU to sign energy agreement to reduce dependence on Russian natural gas
Reference News Network reported on March 26 that according to the German “Hands Daily” website reported on March 24, US President Biden and allies discussed the military strengthening of NATO and further sanctions against Russia, and brought a long-awaited European The promise: The U.S. will strike an energy deal with Europe to ease its reliance on Russian gas.
“Business Daily” reporter learned through EU diplomats that the energy agreement includes a firm commitment to supply liquefied natural gas. According to a senior European Commission official, the supply is between 14 billion and 16 billion cubic meters per year, which is comparable to previous European imports of LNG from Russia. “We seek to replace Russia’s LNG supply,” the official said.
In addition, the United States intends to commit to Europe to expand its natural gas production for a period of time, the report said. It’s a huge concession from the U.S. government: Many supporters of Biden’s Democratic Party reject fossil fuels for climate protection reasons. The question of whether the natural gas industry can obtain additional mining licenses is highly debated in the United States. In response to expected criticism, the energy deal also includes a commitment to supply Europe with hydrogen in the future.
In Brussels, the deal is seen as an important part of Europe’s weaning of energy dependence on Russia. So far, the European Union – especially Germany – has ruled out the option of sanctioning Russian oil and gas supplies. The practice has attracted growing criticism of late, but the German government fears that halting imports overnight will lead to a recession.