The UK is braced for a clash with its European allies as Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho is expected to demand the bloc stop importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia.
Britain banned imports of Russian LNG in January 2023 as part of a package of sanctions against Vladimir Putin in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
But experts have warned that some Russian LNG could still end up in the UK energy system as a result of complex pipe networks used to transmit gas around the continent.
Many EU countries are still importing the gas directly from Russia, despite the bloc’s crackdown on energy imports.
The UK is braced for a clash with its European allies as Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho is expected to demand the bloc stop importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia
PA
Coutinho will travel to Paris amid growing pressure from the Conservative Party over the issue, with some of her colleagues blaming the French government in particular.
Spain, France and Belgium are the three EU countries most reliant on Russian gas.
The import of LNG was estimated to be worth €16 billion in 2022. Imports are down only slightly in 2023.
Earlier this month, France said it is “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, who previously served as Energy Secretary, said the issue is “obviously serious”, adding: “it is important that, as far as possible, loopholes are closed.”
Former Tory party leader Sir Iain Duncan-Smith described the situation as “astonishing”, accusing France of “undermining” sanctions against Russia.
Many EU countries are still importing the gas directly from Russia, despite the bloc’s crackdown on energy imports
PA
Earlier this month, France said it is “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”
PA
He said: “It’s astonishing that France, [which] has done far less than the U.K. and Germany to support Ukraine, continues to undermine the sanctions regime by importing Russian LNG.”
Duncan-Smith added: “The EU should call them out.”
Alex Froley, an LNG market analyst at the Independent Commodity Intelligence Services, told Politico: “It’s impossible to track individual molecules of gas, and so there’s no way to monitor or guarantee that a Russian molecule re-gasified at a Belgian or French LNG import terminal didn’t make its way through the Interconnector pipeline into the U.K”.
Ana Maria Jaller-Makarewicz, lead energy analyst for Europe at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis think tank, added: “The only way to guarantee that the U.K. won’t unknowingly source Russian gas would be to close all European ports to LNG imports from the country”.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
