The European Union could speed up its withdrawal from Russian natural gas and completely stop imports within six to twelve months by substituting it with U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG), U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated on Friday following discussions with EU officials in Brussels the previous day, Reuters reported.
“I think this could easily be done within 12 months, maybe within six months,” Wright told Reuters, adding that “we could do it faster.”

The European Union aims to eliminate all Russian gas imports by the end of 2027, as outlined in a strategy introduced in May to reduce reliance on Russian energy.
The plan sets a goal for the EU to completely halt Russian gas supplies by enhancing transparency, monitoring, and traceability within EU gas markets. It also includes measures to block new contracts with Russian gas suppliers and phase out spot market purchases by the end of 2025.

“We are particularly looking at phasing out Russian fossil fuels faster,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said during the 2025 State of the Union Address on Wednesday, though she did not specify how the EU plans to achieve this.

The United States has intensified its push for Europe to end its reliance on Russian energy, urging a halt to purchases of Russian oil and gas in order to curb the Kremlin’s revenue stream and compel President Vladimir Putin to enter meaningful negotiations with Ukraine.

“The faster we phase out, the sooner you put pressure on Russia,” Wright affirmed, as the United States ramps up pressure on its EU and G7 allies to impose tariffs on India and China for continuing to import Russian crude oil.

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