3 ms·

If Europe does't buy gas from Russia then that leaves Qatar and the US. Qatar does sell a lot to Europe (hence you'll notice how "friendly" Europe is towards Qa

If Europe does't buy gas from Russia then that leaves Qatar and the US. Qatar does sell a lot to Europe (hence you'll notice how "friendly" Europe is towards Qatar) but is vulnerable to instability in the straight of Ormuz. The US are making a fortune on gas at the expense of Europe an it's not that the promise to buy gas is meaningless because unenforceable within Europe, it's that it was already happening in practice. And that makes Europe even more dependent on the US (while the complaint was that we could't buy gas from Russia and depend on them).

eigenspace 2mo ago
Yes, the EU does rely on buying US gas as an important part of its energy mix. But that is true independent of whatever deal the EU struck with Trump. The EU simply does not have control of who its gas importers buy from (other than sanctions) But this is also why the EU is aggressively pursuing and building up alternatives, including investments in Canada's ability to export LNG, but also buildouts of solar, wind, and batteries. Solar and batteries come with their own dependencies on China, but at least those are a different sort of dependency than fossil fuels. If China stops exporting solar / batteries, the ones we have will still keep functioning for decades while alternatives are built up.
- throwaway473825 2mo ago
  > But this is also why the EU is aggressively pursuing and building up alternatives Unfortunately, this couldn't be further from the truth: https://cleantechnica.com/2026/07/12/head-of-iea-roasts-europe-for-slow-electrification/ https://cleantechnica.com/2026/07/12/head-of-iea-roasts-euro... Here are some specific numbers: https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/06/many-building-renewables-few-electrostates.png https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/06/many-building-r... The EU is heavily investing in renewables, but mainly to phase out coal rather than gas, and it's absolutely not electrifying its economy. You can see this in the EU Emissions Trading System. It covers about 40% of all emissions, but leaves out buildings (dominated by gas) and transportation (dominated by oil). Since electricity is covered, it actually encourages oil and gas over electricity. Furthermore, member states like Germany are resistant to taxing gas higher than electricity: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/17/germany-warns-eu-electricity-tax-plan-threatens-national-sovereignty https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/17/germany-warns-... Despite the wars in Ukraine and Iran, gas is still encouraged over electricity in many European countries. China and some other Asian countries have adopted the opposite approach. They aim to replace oil and gas by all possible means, including coal (although it's not the preferred choice).
  - eigenspace 2mo ago
    While I agree I wish this would happen faster, it certainly is happening, and it's happening pretty quickly. Saying it "couldn't be further from the truth" is just silly hyperbole.
- mytailorisrich 2mo ago
  You are missing the point. The EU has been massively increasing its imports of gas from the US since the war in Ukraine started. Promising to buy US gas is not a false promise it is primising to do something that is already reality. I think you also underestimate the links between government and energy companies when it comes to import policy, even if perhaps there nothing formal at EU level. On the other hand, you are also implicitly acknowledging those links when you mention pursuing alternative suppliers. The only thing that Europe is "aggresively" doing is failing again and again on strategic issues.
retired 2mo ago
Russia killing hundreds of EU citizens should be enough to stop buying gas from them.
- deleted 2mo ago
  [deleted]
jonkoops 2mo ago
There is plenty of gas in the EU; we decided that it was undesirable to extract. Honestly pathetic; strategic autonomy and energy security is much more important.
- mytailorisrich 2mo ago
  Yes. Strategically Europe keeps getting things wrong while, e.g., China keeps getting thingss right: they leverage their domestic coal reserves while going all in on nuclear and renewable, and they do it comprehensively with battery tech, solar panels tech, and EVs, too, as you can't lower dependency on foreign oil if all your cars run on petrol. But in fairness they didn't have the lobby of a powerful "legacy" auto industry (another textbook case of innovator's dilemma?)
Fordec 2mo ago
Norway, the North Sea via the UK and Algeria are right there as ready suppliers. All of which today supply more than Qatar. https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/infographics/where-does-the-eu-s-gas-come-from/ https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/infographics/where-does-t... Not to mention current EU stated goals is to reduce consumption by 50% by 2030. Which is coincidentally pretty US and Russia imports combined sized, and timed pretty well with the expiration date of the EU/US trade deal.
- mytailorisrich 2mo ago
  Good graph that shows how imports from the US have exploded since Russia invaded Ukraine... The UK is the same as the rest of Europe. They don't leverage their gas reserves and have a shambolic renewables and nuclear strategy (or lack thereof...)
  - Fordec 2mo ago
    UK has the seventh largest wind energy production per capita in the world and is 30% of their electricity and another 15% is nuclear. Have disagreements sure, but to say they lack a strategy says more about you than them.
    - mytailorisrich 2mo ago
      There must be an argument there somewhere, maybe, who knows...

eigenspace 2mo ago

Yes, the EU does rely on buying US gas as an important part of its energy mix. But that is true independent of whatever deal the EU struck with Trump. The EU simply does not have control of who its gas importers buy from (other than sanctions) But this is also why the EU is aggressively pursuing and building up alternatives, including investments in Canada's ability to export LNG, but also buildouts of solar, wind, and batteries. Solar and batteries come with their own dependencies on China, but at least those are a different sort of dependency than fossil fuels. If China stops exporting solar / batteries, the ones we have will still keep functioning for decades while alternatives are built up.

throwaway473825 2mo ago
> But this is also why the EU is aggressively pursuing and building up alternatives Unfortunately, this couldn't be further from the truth: https://cleantechnica.com/2026/07/12/head-of-iea-roasts-europe-for-slow-electrification/ https://cleantechnica.com/2026/07/12/head-of-iea-roasts-euro... Here are some specific numbers: https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/06/many-building-renewables-few-electrostates.png https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/06/many-building-r... The EU is heavily investing in renewables, but mainly to phase out coal rather than gas, and it's absolutely not electrifying its economy. You can see this in the EU Emissions Trading System. It covers about 40% of all emissions, but leaves out buildings (dominated by gas) and transportation (dominated by oil). Since electricity is covered, it actually encourages oil and gas over electricity. Furthermore, member states like Germany are resistant to taxing gas higher than electricity: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/17/germany-warns-eu-electricity-tax-plan-threatens-national-sovereignty https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/17/germany-warns-... Despite the wars in Ukraine and Iran, gas is still encouraged over electricity in many European countries. China and some other Asian countries have adopted the opposite approach. They aim to replace oil and gas by all possible means, including coal (although it's not the preferred choice).
- eigenspace 2mo ago
  While I agree I wish this would happen faster, it certainly is happening, and it's happening pretty quickly. Saying it "couldn't be further from the truth" is just silly hyperbole.
mytailorisrich 2mo ago
You are missing the point. The EU has been massively increasing its imports of gas from the US since the war in Ukraine started. Promising to buy US gas is not a false promise it is primising to do something that is already reality. I think you also underestimate the links between government and energy companies when it comes to import policy, even if perhaps there nothing formal at EU level. On the other hand, you are also implicitly acknowledging those links when you mention pursuing alternative suppliers. The only thing that Europe is "aggresively" doing is failing again and again on strategic issues.

retired 2mo ago

Russia killing hundreds of EU citizens should be enough to stop buying gas from them.

deleted 2mo ago
[deleted]

jonkoops 2mo ago

There is plenty of gas in the EU; we decided that it was undesirable to extract. Honestly pathetic; strategic autonomy and energy security is much more important.

mytailorisrich 2mo ago
Yes. Strategically Europe keeps getting things wrong while, e.g., China keeps getting thingss right: they leverage their domestic coal reserves while going all in on nuclear and renewable, and they do it comprehensively with battery tech, solar panels tech, and EVs, too, as you can't lower dependency on foreign oil if all your cars run on petrol. But in fairness they didn't have the lobby of a powerful "legacy" auto industry (another textbook case of innovator's dilemma?)

Fordec 2mo ago

Norway, the North Sea via the UK and Algeria are right there as ready suppliers. All of which today supply more than Qatar. https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/infographics/where-does-the-eu-s-gas-come-from/ https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/infographics/where-does-t... Not to mention current EU stated goals is to reduce consumption by 50% by 2030. Which is coincidentally pretty US and Russia imports combined sized, and timed pretty well with the expiration date of the EU/US trade deal.

mytailorisrich 2mo ago
Good graph that shows how imports from the US have exploded since Russia invaded Ukraine... The UK is the same as the rest of Europe. They don't leverage their gas reserves and have a shambolic renewables and nuclear strategy (or lack thereof...)
- Fordec 2mo ago
  UK has the seventh largest wind energy production per capita in the world and is 30% of their electricity and another 15% is nuclear. Have disagreements sure, but to say they lack a strategy says more about you than them.
  - mytailorisrich 2mo ago
    There must be an argument there somewhere, maybe, who knows...