Paris, France – Total CEO Patrick Pouyanné has warned European countries against over-reliance on liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from the United States. This warning comes as the continent prepares to reduce its supplies from Russia.
Trump seeks to replace Russian dependence with American dependence
In an interview with LCI television on Wednesday, Boyan noted that US President Donald Trump “is somehow trying to replace dependence on Russia with dependence on America.” This comes as Europe searches for new energy sources.
America’s share: Pouyanné said the United States “supplies about 40% of Europe’s LNG needs. There is pressure from President Trump to increase that share, which is significant.”
Pouyanné continued, warning: “If [Trump] is pushing for a faster shift away from Russian LNG, it’s because he knows somewhere that this will drive up prices.”
The European Union is moving towards banning Russian gas.
This warning comes at a time when Europe’s reliance on global liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments has increased, particularly after Russia reduced pipeline gas flows following its war in Ukraine in early 2022. Total itself is the largest importer of US LNG to Europe.
The European Union recently adopted a new package of sanctions against Russia. These include a ban on imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) starting in 2027. Production at new gas projects in Qatar and the United States is expected to begin around that time. The EU aims to undermine Moscow’s ability to finance its war efforts through these sanctions.
