Belgium’s energy minister has urged the EU to curb imports of Russian gas by weaning itself off fossil fuels after a report showed that her country was among the world’s biggest recipients of liquefied natural gas thanks to its status as a transit hub.
Tinne Van der Straeten told the Financial Times it was “absolutely necessary” that the bloc met its goal of weaning itself off Russian fossil fuels by 2027 to prevent it “being held hostage” by Moscow.
According to figures analysed by Global Witness, the NGO, the EU is set to import record volumes of liquefied natural gas from Russia this year as part of its effort to diversify away from piped supplies, which have been steadily cut by Moscow following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine last February.