The United Kingdom is preparing for a clash with its European allies as energy minister Claire Coutinho is expected to demand the bloc to stop importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia, according to GB News.
The UK banned imports of Russian LNG in January 2023 as part of the sanctions package against Russia following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February 2022. However, experts suggest that some Russian LNG could still end up in the UK energy system due to the complex pipeline networks used to transport gas across the continent.
Many EU countries still import gas directly from Russia despite the bloc’s tough measures on energy imports.
LNG imports in 2022 are estimated at €16 billion. In 2023, imports fall only slightly. Earlier this month, France stated that it was “assessing whether the conditions for implementing [a ban on Russian LNG imports] could be met, which did not seem to be the case at this stage.” Jacob Rees-Mogg, former energy minister, claimed:
It is important that, as far as possible, loopholes are closed.
