US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said on Monday that the EU should stop importing Russian oil and gas in favour of American oil and gas – in order to encourage the US to take on a more involved role in economic sanctions against Russia.
Speaking to the Financial Times, Wright said that ending Russian oil and gas imports would have a “positive impact on the US leaning in more aggressively” on sanctions.
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“We think it’s good economically for Europe. You want to have secure energy suppliers that are your allies, not your foes,” Wright said.
He added that one of the [US President Donald] Trump administration’s priorities is “to end the Russia-Ukraine war,” pointing to the benefits of cutting the Russian energy economy off from European markets.
“Russia funds its war machine off oil exports and natural gas exports and if you cut off European purchase of those, it shrinks their money.”
Wright’s comments come after Trump indicated on Sunday – for the first time in recent weeks – that he may be prepared to increase economic sanctions on Russia.
After Russia’s largest ever aerial assault on Ukraine killed four people and partially destroyed a government building in the early hours of Sunday morning, Trump was asked by a reporter whether he was ready to move to a “second phase” of sanctions on Russia. He replied: “Yeah, I am.”
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US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said on Monday that the EU should stop importing Russian oil and gas in favour of American oil and gas – in order to encourage the US to take on a more involved role in economic sanctions against Russia.
Speaking to the Financial Times, Wright said that ending Russian oil and gas imports would have a “positive impact on the US leaning in more aggressively” on sanctions.
“We think it’s good economically for Europe. You want to have secure energy suppliers that are your allies, not your foes,” Wright said.
He added that one of the [US President Donald] Trump administration’s priorities is “to end the Russia-Ukraine war,” pointing to the benefits of cutting the Russian energy economy off from European markets.
“Russia funds its war machine off oil exports and natural gas exports and if you cut off European purchase of those, it shrinks their money.”
Wright’s comments come after Trump indicated on Sunday – for the first time in recent weeks – that he may be prepared to increase economic sanctions on Russia.
After Russia’s largest ever aerial assault on Ukraine killed four people and partially destroyed a government building in the early hours of Sunday morning, Trump was asked by a reporter whether he was ready to move to a “second phase” of sanctions on Russia. He replied: “Yeah, I am.”
Although an EU delegation will travel to Washington on Monday to discuss increasing EU-US coordination on Russian sanctions, no new sanctions or plans for sanctions have yet been confirmed.
Trump is previously said to have raised the issue of Russian oil and gas imports with European leaders directly at last Thursday’s “Coalition of the Willing” meeting in Paris. An unnamed White House official reportedly told Reuters that Trump has “questioned their seriousness” about ending Russia’s war in Ukraine while some European countries are still buying Russian oil.
Although an EU delegation will travel to Washington on Monday to discuss increasing EU-US coordination on Russian sanctions, no new sanctions or plans for sanctions have yet been confirmed.
Trump is previously said to have raised the issue of Russian oil and gas imports with European leaders directly at last Thursday’s “Coalition of the Willing” meeting in Paris. An unnamed White House official reportedly told Reuters that Trump has “questioned their seriousness” about ending Russia’s war in Ukraine while some European countries are still buying Russian oil.
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