Biden and Europeans to announce major plan to redirect liquefied natural gas to Europe.

BRUSSELS — President Joe Biden and European leaders are expected to announce a major initiative to direct shipments of liquefied natural gas to Europe during his visit to Brussels this week, part of a broader effort to help reduce Europe’s dependence on Russian energy, according to three U.S. officials familiar with the plan.

The announcement, a dramatic effort to deprive Russia of leverage as it continues to batter Ukraine, would mark an unusual move to reorder the world’s energy flow - a shift that could have an impact long after the war is over. It comes as European officials have asked the United States to do more to help them cut their reliance on Russia for oil and natural gas.

Biden is also expected to use his stop in Brussels on Thursday and Friday - where he is meeting with NATO, the Group of Seven and the European Council - to announce additional sanctions against Moscow, as well as a crackdown on evasions of the current sanctions.

The sanctions are expected to hit numerous members of Russia’s parliament, defense companies and subsidiaries, and additional sectors of its economy, according to two people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe matters not yet made public. They cautioned that planning was fluid and subject to change.

Taken together, the expected actions by America and Europe amount to an escalation of the sweeping push by a U.S.-led coalition of democracies to punish and deter Russia as it pursues its war against Ukraine. The past four weeks have seen a nearly unprecedented coalescence of democratic countries to impose costs on a belligerent foe and provide aid to its victim.

The initiative to ship liquefied natural gas, or LNG, whose details have yet to be finalized, will come Friday when Biden meets with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels before departing for Poland.

Speaking to European Union lawmakers in Brussels on Wednesday, von der Leyen said that all E.U. members “can contribute in reducing our dependency on Russian gas” and said it was a topic she planned to take up with Biden on the first day of his visit Thursday.

“Tomorrow, I will discuss with President Biden how to prioritize LNG deliveries from the United States to the European Union in the coming months,” von der Leyen said. “We are aiming at having a commitment for additional supplies for the next two winters.”

Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, said Wednesday that Biden would make an announcement Friday with the European Commission, the E.U.’s executive body, regarding efforts to reduce reliance on Russian energy, but he declined to provide details.

"I think you can expect that the U.S. will look for ways to increase LNG supplies - surge LNG supplies to Europe - not just over the course of years, but over the course of months as well,” Sullivan told reporters aboard Air Force One. “Of course, that amount will grow over time.”

Sullivan said the goal of helping Europe reduce its reliance on Russia is “a major priority,” adding that the U.S. is already diverting cargoes to increase the supply of gas to Europe.

Some of the new sanctions Biden will announce Thursday will be directed against Russian lawmakers, a U.S. official said, a move that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky requested when he addressed Congress in a video speech earlier this month.

"We propose that the United States sanctions all politicians in the Russian Federation who remain in their offices and do not cut ties with those who are responsible for the aggression against Ukraine, from State Duma members to the last official who has lack of morale to break this state terror,” Zelensky said. The State Duma is one of the chambers of the Russian parliament.

But Biden is holding some of his options for sanctions in reserve. The U.S. has not moved forward with sanctions against prominent Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, for example, because Zelensky asked the United States not to do so, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Most experts believe that Europe remains years away from being able to depend on renewable energy production, creating a short-term demand for traditional energy sources. U.S. production of LNG - natural gas cooled to a much smaller volume so it can be shipped - has emerged as an obvious potential stopgap, but it will be difficult to get enough LNG to make up for a dramatic drop in Russian energy production.

The United States already has buyers for the overwhelming majority of its existing LNG production, which suggests there may not be much additional volume for the Europeans to buy. And Europe lacks the needed infrastructure - particularly the pipelines and other tools to distribute the gas once it arrives there - to absorb large amounts of additional LNG imports.

Energy experts have also discussed whether some of the LNG currently being shipped to Asia could be directed to Europe instead - a potential solution with the downside that Asian countries may then turn to reviving their coal plants, in a potential blow for global emissions targets.

There’s an immediate need to make sure in coming winters Europe can keep the lights and heat on without as much Russian gas or none at all, and that can’t be done with renewables alone,” said Jason Bordoff, founder and director of Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. “Europe does need to make sure it’s investing in infrastructure to diversify its natural gas supplies, and there’s steps the U.S. can take to facilitate that, particularly for the lower-income countries in Europe.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/03/23/biden-russia-sanctions-brussels/

Errant nonsense! Gas price has jumped from $2 to $6 within a year since Pa Joe assumed office and you want to link to Europe. Europe should use their while they still can before the US turn them to cash cow to support their morally bankrupt country and declining economy.

Sadr:
Errant nonsense! Gas price has jumped from $2 to $6 within a year since Pa Joe assumed office and you want to link to Europe. Europe should use their while they still can before the US turn them to cash cow to support their morally bankrupt country and declining economy.

You are just ranting... If the possibility isn't there thy won't be discussing it.. The west is united in doing away with the Russian gas and it is just a matter of time before they say goodbye to it.. And you trust the US to always cash in when the possibility is there

Sadr:
Errant nonsense! Gas price has jumped from $2 to $6 within a year since Pa Joe assumed office and you want to link to Europe. Europe should use their while they still can before the US turn them to cash cow to support their morally bankrupt country and declining economy.

It is called LNG and not the Gas or fuel as you call it in Naija.Ode like you

Pontaboki:

It is called LNG and not the Gas or fuel as you call it in Naija.Ode like you

You can't help but to display your cerebral dwarfism. Gas price generally in the US is on the high end.

Haha so this was the plan all along.
To make Europe depend on amerika for everything.
Europe Mumu never do

Yooruba1914:
Haha so this was the plan all along.
To make Europe depend on amerika for everything.
Europe Mumu never do

But Russia is Asia (their major geography is located in Asia).

America (USA) is more of Europe. America is more related to Europe than Russia. The people who formed America were mainly European immigrants.

Yooruba1914:
Haha so this was the plan all along.
To make Europe depend on amerika for everything.
Europe Mumu never do

UK and Europe will get much of their Natural Gas Supply from Nigeria and West Africa the Trans Sahara gas Pipeline is already being accelerated

christistruth01:



UK and Europe will get much of their Natural Gas Supply from Nigeria and West Africa the Trans Sahara gas Pipeline is already being accelerated

be ready for more destabilization of west Africa then.
Just like France is doin in western Sahara.
I will rather we do business with china, India or Asia

Yooruba1914:
be ready for more destabilization of west Africa then.
Just like France is doin in western Sahara.
I will rather we do business with china, India or Asia

It is not France doing the destabilising but french Businessmen out of Selfish Greed

One guy from the East claimed they gave Kanu money to destabilise Nigeria and he told Kanu to return the money to them

It was Oil money they were hoping for

Also an unstable Nigeria is not in the UKs interest

This was the plan. Russia gas is cheaper tho. What happens to the Nord steam 2 now? Germany gonna count their loss because they paid for the pipeline. Welcome to the multi-polar world fellas. Africa is in the bag due to China loans

Yooruba1914:
Haha so this was the plan all along.
To make Europe depend on amerika for everything.
Europe Mumu never do

Those guys are even dumber than i thought. Germany already paid for the NS2. What happens to that now, Ukraine will also not get their transit fees anymore. And Russia gas is even cheaper.

Drenimarcus:
This was the plan. Russia gas is cheaper tho. What happens to the Nord steam 2 now? Germany gonna count their loss because they paid for the pipeline. Welcome to the multi-polar world fellas. Africa is in the bag due to China loans

That Nord stream 2 was a big miscalculation on the part of Russia.
I believe the aim of the Nord stream 2 was to by pass Ukraine and shut out Ukraine gas link to Europe.
If Russia had instead made a Russia to Ukraine to Europe.it would be difficult to say no.
But Russia has shown it's hand that it want or has crippled Ukraine .Eu and eastern European countries are frightened of there own security and would want to find alternative and reduce the risk of a total dependence on Russia

Drenimarcus:


Those guys are even dumber than i thought. Germany already paid for the NS2. What happens to that now, Ukraine will also not get their transit fees anymore. And Russia gas is even cheaper.

Nord stream was shared by both Russia and Germany 50:50
Russia gas is cheap but the decision of war and repeating the same pattern of going into war with it's neighbours makes it costly

baralatie:

That Nord stream 2 was a big miscalculation on the part of Russia.
I believe the aim of the Nord stream 2 was to by pass Ukraine and shut out Ukraine gas link to Europe.
If Russia had instead made a Russia to Ukraine to Europe.it would be difficult to say no.
But Russia has shown it's hand that it want or has crippled Ukraine .Eu and eastern European countries are frightened of there own security and would want to find alternative and reduce the risk of a total dependence on Russia

No, Germany wanted the pipeline directly to them to avoid the transit fees. Russia will supply Asia and US will supply EU but they will pay more for gas. I don't even care about this, it is the Saudi/China deal i want so bad.

Drenimarcus:
This was the plan. Russia gas is cheaper tho. What happens to the Nord steam 2 now? Germany gonna count their loss because they paid for the pipeline. Welcome to the multi-polar world fellas. Africa is in the bag due to China loans

I swear.. Germany will count their loss and move on.. Russia gas is cheaper but right now Europe, especially NATO are not thinking about money

The same America that still imports about 20% of world gas and has stopped buying from Russia, Iran, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, people that account for about 40-45% of gas export in the world?

The same America that is the world biggest consumer of gas?

The same America that is going 'cleaner energy' and has limited its gas and crude production?

Where does America want to see the gas for Europe another big gas consumers in the world?

Somethings just doesn't make sense...or America just doesn't make sense

Drenimarcus:


No, Germany wanted the pipeline directly to them to avoid the transit fees. Russia will supply Asia and US will supply EU but they will pay more for gas. I don't even care about this, it is the Saudi/China deal i want so bad.

Svlla:
The same America that still imports about 20% of world gas and has stopped buying from Russia, Iran, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, people that account for about 40-45% of gas export in the world?

The same America that is the world biggest consumer of gas?

The same America that is going 'cleaner energy' and has limited its gas and crude production?

Where does America want to see the gas for Europe another big gas consumers in the world?

Somethings just doesn't make sense...or America just doesn't make sense

Wow, didnt know we still importing gas from these countries. What is really going on with this Biden administration

Drenimarcus, na Shakara US dey

There's no way they can fill that gap and moreover there gas is expensive but the volume of gas Europe consumes is scary even

Drenimarcus:


No, Germany wanted the pipeline directly to them to avoid the transit fees. Russia will supply Asia and US will supply EU but they will pay more for gas. I don't even care about this, it is the Saudi/China deal i want so bad.

Svlla:
Drenimarcus, na Shakira US dey

There's no way they can fill that gap and moreover there gas is expensive but the volume of gas Europe consumes is scary even

Then the European leaders are much dumber than i thought. Shakira US?

Not really, if they were importing from this countries it would have made more sense because they produce gas and crude too mostly by fracking which is even more expensive
But they sanctioned Iran, Venezuela and not in good terms with gulf nations, people that have liquefied natural gas that is cheap and without stress

Biden has gone mad finally

Drenimarcus:


Wow, didnt know we still importing gas from these countries. What is really going on with this Biden administration

That's why Germany was going to a gulf nation for gas deal recently....there's no immediate replacement for Russian gas

Drenimarcus:


Then the European leaders are much dumber than i thought. Shakira US?

Svlla:
Not really, if they were importing from this countries it would have made more sense because they produce gas and crude too mostly by fracking which is even more expensive
But they sanctioned Iran, Venezuela and not in good terms with gulf nations, people that have liquefied natural gas that is cheap and without stress

Biden has gone mad finally

I guess trump was right by calling him stupid! He also just sued Hillary Clinton. Wetin deh sup for this country, everywhere is in chaos right now.

Svlla:
That's why Germany was going to a gulf nation for gas deal recently....there's no immediate replacement for Russian gas

Even that will take a while and will be more expensive, coupled with transit fees

Mehn

Na comedy wey Zelensky feature Biden

Drenimarcus:


I guess trump was right by calling him stupid! He also just sued Hillary Clinton. Wetin deh sup for this country, everywhere is in chaos right now.

Svlla:
Mehn

Na comedy wey Zelensky feature Biden

America don turn comedy. Chinese foreign minister just arrived in India for talks. This is big considering their clashes. This Multi-polar world go sweet.

Imagine say the outcome of this meeting na Petrolyuan or PetrolRupee

Or better still cooperation in regional politics and security

Everybody don tire for America

Drenimarcus:


America don turn comedy. Chinese foreign minister just arrived in India for talks. This is big considering their clashes. This Multi-polar world go sweet.

Svlla:
Imagine say the outcome of this meeting na Petrolyuan or PetrolRupee

Or better still cooperation in regional politics and security

Everybody don tire for America

I am thinking this. Iran and Venezuela deals and then Saudi/China. Things are happening and Nigerian leaders are more worried about 2023.

Forget Nigeria matter

Alot is happening so fast ryt now

Drenimarcus:


I am thinking this. Iran and Venezuela deals and then Saudi/China. Things are happening and Nigerian leaders are more worried about 2023.

Svlla:
Forget Nigeria matter

Alot is happening so fast ryt now

we need a multipolar world, enough of these imperialists. The Mariupol news should be confirmed anytime soon by Russia MoD. Stay safe brother.