U.S. LNG will help reduce EU’s Russian gas dependency, von der Leyen says

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The commitment by the United States to deliver additional liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the EU is a big step towards making Europe less dependent on Russian gas, EU Commission head Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday.

“We aim to reduce this dependency on Russian fossil fuels and get rid of it. This can only be achieved through… additional gas supplies, including LNG deliveries”, von der Leyen said at a joint news conference with U.S. President Joe Biden.

“We as Europeans want to diversify away from Russia towards suppliers that we trust, that are our friends, that are reliable,” she said.

“Therefore, the U.S. commitment to provide the European Union with additional at least 15 billion cubic metres of LNG this year is a big step in this direction because this will replace the LNG supply we currently receive from Russia.”

The United States has committed to providing the European Union with an additional 15 billion cubic metres (bcm) of LNG this year, with both sides aiming to ramp up deliveries to 50 bcm per year over time.

“Looking ahead, the United States and Europe will ensure stable demand and supply for additional at least 50 billion cubic metres of U.S. LNG until 2030,” von der Leyen said, adding this would replace one third of Russian gas supplies to the EU today.

“We need to secure our supplies not just for next winter but also for the years ahead”, she added. “Our partnership aims to sustain us through this war.”

(Reporting by Sabine Siebold and Bart Meijer)