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The US expects Europe to completely stop importing Russian gas and replace it with American energy resources, , US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said after talks in Brussels on Thursday.

"Our goal is to provide our allies around the world with American energy resources... This is a point that I think is particularly relevant here in Europe, where I am today, because almost 50% of our imported natural gas comes from Russia," Wright was quoted as saying by Reuters.

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In January-July 2025, Russian Gazprom pumped only 9.93 billion cubic meters of gas to the EU , which is almost half as much as in the same period in 2024 (18.3 billion cubic meters). If the pace continues, by the end of the year, Russian gas exports to Europe will amount to about 17 billion cubic meters, the lowest level since the early 1970s.

At the same time, imports of Russian liquefied natural gas to the European Union in the first six months of 2025 were 29% higher than in the same period of the previous year (in monetary terms).

"We want to reduce this to zero, and the biggest factor in filling this gap has been energy exports from the United States. We want to continue this work and completely stop all Russian energy imports to the EU," the minister said .

At the same time, European Commissioner for Energy Dan Jorgensen confirmed that the EU remains on the course of gradual abandonment of Russian oil and gas by 2028, emphasizing that the plan is "very ambitious" and requires the approval of all member states and European lawmakers.

"If there are other opportunities to speed up the process and at the same time put pressure on Russia, we are certainly happy to use them," Jorgensen added .

  • The EU is currently considering an initiative to completely abandon Russian oil and gas as part of the severance of energy relations with Russia due to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
  • According to the proposed ban, the EU will phase out new contracts with Russia starting in January 2026, will stop importing Russian gas under existing short-term contracts from June 17, 2026, and under long-term contracts in January 2028.
  • Governments are to agree on a common position on the Russian gas ban by mid-October, after which they and the European Parliament will negotiate and approve the final law.