EU Faces Challenges in Energy Import Shift Amid Strained Relations with Russia
The European Union is grappling with the complexities of a commitment to significantly increase energy imports from the United States, reports 24brussels. Analysts have highlighted that fulfilling this promise appears nearly impossible given the current energy dynamics.
In 2024, the EU allocated €375 billion for energy imports, with only €76 billion sourced from the U.S., according to Laura Page, a senior analyst at Kpler. To meet its new target, the bloc would need to nearly triple its American imports in the next three years while potentially sidelining other providers, such as Norway, which offers cheaper gas through pipelines.
Moreover, the U.S. exported only $166 billion in oil and gas last year, Page noted, indicating that a substantial shift of American exports to the EU would be necessary. “That’s just never going to happen,” she asserted.
In the first quarter of 2025, U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) accounted for 50.7 percent of the EU’s market share, while Russian sources contributed 17 percent—largely from long-term contracts established before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This reliance on Russian energy further complicates the EU’s efforts to pivot to American supplies.
Jørgensen’s REPowerEU strategy aims to encourage energy firms to terminate these contracts to procure American energy instead. However, companies are currently evaluating the potential legal implications of such a decision, raising further uncertainties about the EU’s energy transition.
