The European Union could end its dependence on Russian gas within six to 12 months, replacing it with liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in an interview with Reuters on Friday.
Speaking from Brussels, where he met with European Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen on Thursday, Wright said Washington had conveyed this position to European officials this week. The EU is currently working on legal proposals to end Russian oil and gas imports by January 2028, with a ban on short-term contracts starting next year.
"I think it could easily be done in 12 months, maybe even six," Wright said, adding that he had encouraged Brussels to bring the deadline forward. "On the American side, we could move faster, and it would be positive to have those dates brought forward," he insisted.
The United States is stepping up pressure on Europe to cut off Moscow's energy revenues, the main source of funding for the war in Ukraine. The European Commission did not immediately respond to Wright's comments.
This American position underlines Washington's desire to accelerate the European energy shift, while consolidating its role as a strategic supplier of LNG to Russia.
