Europe has shown a new vulnerability in its energy landscape as it shifts from Russian gas to liquefied natural gas from the United States. A recent industry report highlighted that this transition moved quickly, with American LNG taking a sizable share of shipments to European buyers and ranking second in overall volume after Norway.
Experts warn that dependence on LNG from the United States will grow further unless the European Union can secure Russian gas anew or a major producer such as Qatar pushes into a price war to capture a larger slice of the market. Analysts at a global policy think tank suggest that the current trajectory could become more pronounced if supply diversity remains limited and geopolitical tensions influence pricing and access.
Meanwhile, Russian officials have signaled a readiness to explore gas deliveries to European nations and to discuss terms with international partners. They stressed openness to expanding transit routes and negotiating arrangements that could help keep gas flowing to the region even amid broader shifts in energy strategy.
In a contemporaneous statement, European authorities indicated there is consideration of increasing transit capacity from Ukrainian territory to European markets. The idea is to keep the gas corridors open and find practical solutions that might involve additional intermediaries in the logistics chain to facilitate shipments during periods of constraint or disruption.
Previously, the European Commission outlined a plan to reduce reliance on Russian gas by the end of the decade, accelerating diversification and investment in alternative supply routes and routes of delivery. The goal is to strengthen energy security while navigating the political and market dynamics that shape global gas flows.