The relationship with Moscow is becoming increasingly tense and Washington is trying to study an emergency plan in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. The United States government – Reuters reports – has held talks with several international energy companies to evaluate possible supplies of natural gas to Europe if the conflict were to interrupt those arriving from Russia.
US suspicions: “Moscow seeks pretexts to invade Ukraine”
by our correspondent Paolo Mastrolilli
The United States is concerned that Russia is preparing for a new military assault on Kiev, also considering the fact that the European Union depends on Russia for about a third of its gas supplies, and that the new sanctions against Moscow could provoke a stop of this flow.
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The companies would have replied that global supplies are limited and there is little gas available to replace Russia’s large volumes.
Royal Dutch Shell, ConocoPhillips and Exxon declined to comment. A spokesperson for the US National Security Council confirmed that contingency planning appears to be underway. If pipeline supplies from Russia to Europe were to be reduced, the most likely hypothesis is to increase US exports of liquefied natural gas.