June marked the first month in history where the U.S. exported more LNG to Europe than Russia did via pipeline, according to Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA).
“Russia's recent steep cuts in natural gas flows to the EU mean this is the 1st month in history in which the E.U. has imported more gas via LNG from the U.S. than via pipeline from Russia, Birol posted on Twitter on June 30.
In 2021, the E.U. imported about 155 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Russia, according to CNBC. As the Russia-Ukraine war continues, however, Europe has faced steep cuts in natural-gas flows from the country, causing it to turn to alternatives. CNBC reports that E.U. plans to replace two-thirds of Russian gas imports by the end of the year, though analysts expect this effort to miss the mark.
In 2021, Russian supply accounted for one-third of Europe’s gas demand, according to Business Insider.