【By Observer News, Xiong Chaoran】On September 8 local time, the UK's Financial Times cited statements from US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who said that if European countries want the US to impose stricter sanctions on Russia, they must stop purchasing Russian oil and natural gas. He claimed that this trade is funding Putin's "war machine."

He believes that European countries should purchase American liquefied natural gas, gasoline, and other fossil fuel products to fulfill the terms of the US-EU trade agreement. According to the agreement, EU countries are required to purchase $75 billion worth of American energy products by the end of 2028.

"If Europeans draw a line saying, 'We will no longer buy Russian natural gas, we will no longer buy Russian oil,' would that have a positive impact on the US pushing for stronger sanctions? Absolutely," Wright said before meeting with EU energy officials in Brussels this week.

Wright added: "We believe it is economically beneficial for Europe. You want to have a stable energy supply; they are your allies, not your enemies... Another reason is that the major goal of the Trump administration, I believe also the goal of the EU, is to end the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Russia relies on oil and natural gas exports to support its 'war machine'; if European purchases are cut, Russia's funds will decrease."

Photo of US Energy Secretary Chris Wright

According to reports, the EU is urging the US to increase economic sanctions against Russia to pressure Putin further and promote peace negotiations. However, despite growing frustration with Russia's refusal to agree to a temporary ceasefire, Trump has not imposed additional sanctions on Russia yet.

On September 7 local time, US Treasury Secretary Bensons told ABC that as long as Europe takes similar actions, the US is ready to further increase pressure on Russia.

Data from the climate energy think tank Ember shows that in 2024, Russian natural gas accounted for 14% of the EU's total fossil fuel imports, down from about 40% at the start of the Ukraine-Russia conflict in 2022. However, this proportion increased by 18% compared to 2023, mainly due to an increase in Russian liquefied natural gas exports.

The EU is drafting legislation to gradually phase out Russian oil and gas by 2028, but the plan has faced opposition from Hungary and Slovakia, which continue to purchase cheaper Russian pipeline gas.

Wright is expected to meet with EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen on September 11 local time to discuss the EU's plan to gradually move away from Russian energy and how the EU can purchase $25 billion worth of American energy products annually under the trade agreement. Wright will also meet with members of the European Parliament, many of whom argue that the trade agreement favors the US and call for its revision.

The Financial Times noted that Wright has long advocated for hydraulic fracturing (fracking), a method used to boost oil and gas well production, and has been criticized by environmental organizations as a climate change denier. He claims that the EU's climate regulations and its net-zero emissions campaign by 2050 pose a serious threat to the US-EU trade agreement.

He also claimed that unless there are "massive adjustments," the EU's carbon border adjustment mechanism, methane emission regulations, and corporate sustainability due diligence directives will pose "huge legal risks" for American fossil fuel companies.

"If one side of the agreement does not fulfill its obligations, the entire trade negotiation will collapse... So I believe these regulations seriously threaten the implementation of the trade agreement. The 2050 net-zero target is just a disaster... It will only bring huge poverty, and it is impossible to achieve," Wright claimed.

On September 4 local time, the "Volunteer Alliance" summit was held at the Elysée Palace in Paris, France. After the meeting, European Council President Costa told the Financial Times: "If we look back nine months ago, that is, in January of this year, everyone was very worried, especially worried about our relationship with the US. In the past nine months, we have successfully stabilized transatlantic relations."

"If you remember his initial statements about the EU, it seems like something from ten years ago," said Costa: "But now I think we have turned a new page, and we need to build on this and expect to maintain good relations with the US."

Although Costa's "turning the page" statement sounds light-hearted, there are still many deep-seated issues in the relationship between the EU and the US. The two sides remain stuck on key parts of the trade agreement involving the automotive industry, digital regulation targeting US tech giants like Google, and steel and aluminum products, where the EU faces the threat of a 50% tariff from the US.

The Wall Street Journal reported on September 8 that because of this, the US-EU trade agreement, which was barely reached in July, is now at risk of collapsing. Discontent is spreading not only among politicians in EU member states but also among the European Parliament, and the key parts of the agreement must be approved by the European Parliament to take effect.

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