The European Union signed a landmark deal with the United States to deliver liquified natural gas (LNG) to the region as it attempts to break its reliance on sanction-hit Russia.<o:p></o:p>

Under the agreement, the US will be supplying additional 15 billion cubic meters of LNG—which is equivalent to around 10 per cent of the gas imports from Russia—this year, with supplies increasing over the coming years.<o:p></o:p>

The deal was announced on Friday during a three-day visit by US President Joe Biden to Brussels.<o:p></o:p>

Last year, the EU imported around 22 billion cubic meters of LNG from US.<o:p></o:p>

Currently, Russia is responsible for about 40 per cent of the EU's gas needs.

The US will also work to supply 50 bcm of additional LNG until at least 2030, President Joe Biden announced at the press conference in Brussels.

<o:p>Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mariupol-theater-attack-may-have-claimed-300-lives-mostly-women-and-children-city-hall-465428">Mariupol theater attack may have claimed 300 lives, mostly women and children</a></o:p>

"Putin is using Russia's energy resources to coerce and manipulate its neighbours," Mr Biden told reporters in Brussels. "He's used the profits to drive his war machine."<o:p></o:p>

He said the long-term benefits of the deal would outweigh the short term pain that reducing Russian gas supplies would cause.<o:p></o:p>

"I know that eliminating Russian gas will have costs for Europe, but it's not only the right thing to do from a moral standpoint, it's going to put us on a much stronger strategic footing."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/one-month-of-russia-ukraine-conflict-here-are-the-top-10-developments-465411">One month of Russia-Ukraine conflict: Here are the top 10 developments</a>

<o:p></o:p>

EU President von der Leyen, who was also present in the meeting, said: "We want, as Europeans, to diversify away from Russia towards suppliers that we trust that are friends and that are reliable."<o:p></o:p>

US gas supplies to the EU accounted for 6.3 per cent in the first half of 2021, the bloc's statistics agency says.

<o:p>Watch |&nbsp;Day 2 of EU Council Summit: US to provide natural gas to Europe</o:p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/day-2-of-eu-council-summit-us-to-provide-natural-gas-to-europe-465485/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

(With inputs from agencies)<o:p></o:p>

The European Union signed a landmark deal with the United States to deliver liquified natural gas (LNG) to the region as it attempts to break its reliance on sanction-hit Russia.

The European Union signed a landmark deal with the United States to deliver liquified natural gas (LNG) to the region as it attempts to break its reliance on sanction-hit Russia. Under the agreement, the US will be supplying additional 15 billion cubic meters of LNG—which is equivalent to around 10 per cent of the gas imports from Russia—this year, with supplies increasing over the coming years. The deal was announced on Friday during a three-day visit by US President Joe Biden to Brussels. Last year, the EU imported around 22 billion cubic meters of LNG from US. Currently, Russia is responsible for about 40 per cent of the EU's gas needs. The US will also work to supply 50 bcm of additional LNG until at least 2030, President Joe Biden announced at the press conference in Brussels. Also read | Mariupol theater attack may have claimed 300 lives, mostly women and children "Putin is using Russia's energy resources to coerce and manipulate its neighbours," Mr Biden told reporters in Brussels. "He's used the profits to drive his war machine." He said the long-term benefits of the deal would outweigh the short term pain that reducing Russian gas supplies would cause. "I know that eliminating Russian gas will have costs for Europe, but it's not only the right thing to do from a moral standpoint, it's going to put us on a much stronger strategic footing." Also read | One month of Russia-Ukraine conflict: Here are the top 10 developments EU President von der Leyen, who was also present in the meeting, said: "We want, as Europeans, to diversify away from Russia towards suppliers that we trust that are friends and that are reliable." US gas supplies to the EU accounted for 6.3 per cent in the first half of 2021, the bloc's statistics agency says. Watch | Day 2 of EU Council Summit: US to provide natural gas to Europe (With inputs from agencies)

EU, US sign mega LNG deal in an attempt to curb reliance on sanctions-hit Russia

Even as tensions are brewing between US and Russia over the Ukraine crisis, it is being reported that President Joe Biden is in talks with natural gas suppliers around the globe should Russia cut off energy supplies to Europe as a consequence of the conflict.

US officials on Tuesday said that they had been negotiating with global suppliers for additional volumes of non-Russian fuel.

“We're in discussions with major natural gas producers around the globe, to understand their capacity and willingness to temporarily surge natural gas supply and to allocate these volumes to European buyers,” a senior administration official was quoted as saying by Reuters.

“We've been working to identify additional volumes of non-Russian natural gas from various areas of the world from North Africa and the Middle East to Asia and the United States," the official said, adding that European energy stockpiles are significantly lower due to reduced Russian supplies over the last few months.

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The US and Europe had threatened to impose political and economic sanctions on Russia if it attempts to invade Ukraine. But Kremlin has not overtly discussed the retaliatory measures it would take to counter the sanctions.

Hence, the European leaders feel that Russian President Vladimir Puttin may cut off energy supplies to them in response to those sanctions.

Putin has reportedly deployed around 100,000 troops near Ukraine's border for weeks, sparking a diplomatic crisis for Europe and the United States.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-sends-more-fighter-planes-for-drills-in-belarus-447763" hreflang="en">Russia sends more fighter planes for drills in Belarus</a>

The West has repeatedly claimed that Russia intends to invade Ukraine. However, Putin has called such charges as basil.

Russia has already restricted the flow of natural gas through the pipeline running through Ukraine from about 100m cubic metres a day to 50 MCM, the Guardian reported citing US officials.

Washington now estimates that almost all of that can be replaced quickly if the pipeline is cut deliberately or as a result of the conflict.

(With inputs from agencies)

Even as tensions are brewing between US and Russia over the Ukraine crisis, it is being reported that President Joe Biden is in talks with natural gas suppliers around the globe should Russia cut off energy supplies to Europe as a consequence of the conflict.

Even as tensions are brewing between US and Russia over the Ukraine crisis, it is being reported that President Joe Biden is in talks with natural gas suppliers around the globe should Russia cut off energy supplies to Europe as a consequence of the conflict. US officials on Tuesday said that they had been negotiating with global suppliers for additional volumes of non-Russian fuel. “We're in discussions with major natural gas producers around the globe, to understand their capacity and willingness to temporarily surge natural gas supply and to allocate these volumes to European buyers,” a senior administration official was quoted as saying by Reuters. “We've been working to identify additional volumes of non-Russian natural gas from various areas of the world from North Africa and the Middle East to Asia and the United States," the official said, adding that European energy stockpiles are significantly lower due to reduced Russian supplies over the last few months. Also read | Russia steps up propaganda war amid tensions with Ukraine The US and Europe had threatened to impose political and economic sanctions on Russia if it attempts to invade Ukraine. But Kremlin has not overtly discussed the retaliatory measures it would take to counter the sanctions. Hence, the European leaders feel that Russian President Vladimir Puttin may cut off energy supplies to them in response to those sanctions. Putin has reportedly deployed around 100,000 troops near Ukraine's border for weeks, sparking a diplomatic crisis for Europe and the United States. Also read | Russia sends more fighter planes for drills in Belarus The West has repeatedly claimed that Russia intends to invade Ukraine. However, Putin has called such charges as basil. Russia has already restricted the flow of natural gas through the pipeline running through Ukraine from about 100m cubic metres a day to 50 MCM, the Guardian reported citing US officials. Washington now estimates that almost all of that can be replaced quickly if the pipeline is cut deliberately or as a result of the conflict. (With inputs from agencies)

US negotiating with global suppliers to secure gas for Europe if Russia invades Ukraine: Report

New tensions between Moscow and Kiev flared Thursday after Russia&#39;s Gazprom said it will not restart gas supplies to Ukraine and Naftogaz accusing its counterpart of violating agreements.

The March shipments would have become the first Russian supplies to Ukraine since November 2015 when Kiev ceased purchasing Russian gas in favour of Europe.

Since a popular uprising ousted a Kremlin-backed regime in Ukraine in 2014, the two gas companies have been locked in a furious legal battle that led them to lodge multi-billion dollar claims against each other in the Stockholm arbitration court.&nbsp;

In December last year, the court lowered the price Russia can claim for its gas, but also required Kiev to buy 5 billion cubic metres of Russian gas annually from 2018.&nbsp;

On Thursday, Gazprom said supplies would not be restarted because an additional agreement to the current contract had not been finalised.

&quot;Obviously, no gas deliveries will be made to Naftogaz Ukraine from March 1,&quot; Gazprom deputy head Alexander Medvedev said in a statement.

He added that the Russian gas giant had returned the prepayment that Naftogaz had made for March supplies.

In response, Naftogaz accused Gazprom of violating its contractual obligations.

&quot;Gazprom&#39;s position surprises us,&quot; Naftogaz chief Andriy Kobolev said in a statement.

&quot;We are buying gas because we are implementing a court decision,&quot; he said, adding that Naftogaz intended to claim damages from the Russian company.

&quot;Gazprom&#39;s announcement gives European partners a new reason to ask if they can trust a partner who can bill you, receive money and refuse to supply gas,&quot; Kobolev said.

The new flare-up in tensions came after the Stockholm arbitration court ordered Gazprom to pay $2.56 billion to Naftogaz for &quot;failure to deliver the agreed transit gas volumes&quot;, the Ukranian company said on Wednesday.

Gazprom covers about one-third of the European continent&#39;s gas needs, a share that has increased in recent years despite the European Union&#39;s intention to reduce its dependence on Russian gas supplies.

After the 2014 popular uprising, Moscow annexed the peninsula of Crimea from Ukraine and supported an anti-Kiev insurgency in the east of the ex-Soviet country.&nbsp;

More than 10,000 people have been killed in the fighting since April 2014.

New tensions between Moscow and Kiev flared Thursday after Russia's Gazprom said it will not restart gas supplies to Ukraine and Naftogaz accusing its counterpart of violating agreements

New tensions between Moscow and Kiev flared Thursday after Russia's Gazprom said it will not restart gas supplies to Ukraine and Naftogaz accusing its counterpart of violating agreements. The March shipments would have become the first Russian supplies to Ukraine since November 2015 when Kiev ceased purchasing Russian gas in favour of Europe. Since a popular uprising ousted a Kremlin-backed regime in Ukraine in 2014, the two gas companies have been locked in a furious legal battle that led them to lodge multi-billion dollar claims against each other in the Stockholm arbitration court. In December last year, the court lowered the price Russia can claim for its gas, but also required Kiev to buy 5 billion cubic metres of Russian gas annually from 2018. On Thursday, Gazprom said supplies would not be restarted because an additional agreement to the current contract had not been finalised. "Obviously, no gas deliveries will be made to Naftogaz Ukraine from March 1," Gazprom deputy head Alexander Medvedev said in a statement. He added that the Russian gas giant had returned the prepayment that Naftogaz had made for March supplies. In response, Naftogaz accused Gazprom of violating its contractual obligations. "Gazprom's position surprises us," Naftogaz chief Andriy Kobolev said in a statement. "We are buying gas because we are implementing a court decision," he said, adding that Naftogaz intended to claim damages from the Russian company. "Gazprom's announcement gives European partners a new reason to ask if they can trust a partner who can bill you, receive money and refuse to supply gas," Kobolev said. The new flare-up in tensions came after the Stockholm arbitration court ordered Gazprom to pay $2.56 billion to Naftogaz for "failure to deliver the agreed transit gas volumes", the Ukranian company said on Wednesday. Gazprom covers about one-third of the European continent's gas needs, a share that has increased in recent years despite the European Union's intention to reduce its dependence on Russian gas supplies. After the 2014 popular uprising, Moscow annexed the peninsula of Crimea from Ukraine and supported an anti-Kiev insurgency in the east of the ex-Soviet country. More than 10,000 people have been killed in the fighting since April 2014.

Russia's Gazprom refuses to restart gas supplies to Ukraine