Russia’s gas chokehold on Europe in spotlight at US-EU meet

Transatlantic energy council meeting comes amid an increasingly urgent push to wean Europe off Russian natural gas as Ukraine tension soars

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell Fontelles and European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson. AFP

The US and EU held an energy ministerial on Monday in a bid to hammer out a strategy meant to lessen Europe’s reliance on Russian natural gas, which has limited the response options to Russia’s potential invasion of Ukraine.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and EU High Representative Josep Borrell led the conference alongside US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson.

“We’re working together right now to protect Europe’s energy supply against supply shocks, including those that can result from further Russian aggression against Ukraine,” Mr Blinken told reporters in a press conference with Mr Borrell after the conference concluded.

“Energy security is tied directly to national security, regional security and global security.”

Russia supplies about one third of Europe’s natural gas, a pivotal quantity that becomes all the more significant in the cold winter months.

A 2009 Russian-Ukrainian gas dispute prompted Moscow to shut off natural gas exports to much of Europe for several months — a point Mr Blinken emphasised by noting that “people died from the cold” during the row.

“We’re co-ordinating with our allies and partners, with energy sector stakeholders, including about how best to share energy reserves in the event that Russia turns off the spigot or initiates a conflict,” said Mr Blinken.

Russian and Belarus troops held joint combat training at firing ranges in Belarus as tensions remain high under the looming threat of war with Ukraine. AP Photo

A soldier drives an armoured vehicle at Brestsky firing range, Belarus. AP Photo

A Ukrainian serviceman carries out checks not far from the pro-Russian militant-controlled city of Donetsk, Ukraine. EPA

A Russian military vehicle drives off a railway platform after arriving in Belarus. AP Photo

A soldier takes aim during a Russian and Belarusian military drill at Brestsky firing range. AP Photo

A Ukrainian serviceman repairs a shelter near Donetsk, Ukraine. EPA

Aircraft are lined up on 'USS Harry S Truman' in the Adriatic Sea. The Truman strike group is operating under Nato command and control along with several other Nato allies for co-ordinated maritime manoeuvres, anti-submarine warfare training and long-range training. Reuters

Russian soldiers attend the Yurginsky training ground in the Kemerovo region, Russia. AP Photo

A Ukrainian serviceman lays flowers where one of his friends was killed in 2017 near Avdiivka. Anatolii Stepanov / AFP

A Ukrainian serviceman stands guard in a dugout on the frontline with the Russia-backed separatists near Avdiivka. AFP

This satellite image shows troops gathered at a training ground in Pogonovo, Russia. AP Photo

The conference on Monday marked the ninth meeting of the US-EU energy council, which has not convened for four years.

But the meeting could not come at a more crucial time, as the European reliance on Russian natural gas has made it more challenging for the US to co-ordinate with allies on the Ukraine crisis.

“We need to face the current situation of the eastern border, keeping in mind the purpose of decarbonising our energy mix because the only lasting solution to address energy resilience — security — is going from fossil fuels to renewables,” Mr Borrell said.

Germany has sought to go ahead with the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia despite US pushback. Nonetheless, US officials have said that Germany has agreed not to operationalise the pipeline in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

US President Joe Biden is likely to discuss the Nord Stream 2 pipeline when he meets German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the White House later on Monday.