White House officials accused of helping Putin and letting down European partners

London, 11 March - European campaigners have warned US President Joe Biden not to delay promised LNG supplies to an energy-starved Europe or risk helping and prolonging Putin's energy war.

Net Zero Watch, a London-based climate and energy policy think tank, has criticised the administration's reported delay of US efforts to accelerate urgently needed LNG supplies to Europe.

According to media reports, officials in the Biden administration are hesitant to fulfil its original promise to assist Europe in cutting its dependency on Russian gas after some White House officials expressed concern helping Europe with additional LNG supplies could undercut the administration's key agenda of fighting climate change.

The White House had commissioned an interagency review of ways to boost liquefied natural gas exports to Europe, but this has reportedly been shelved after officials in President Biden's climate team argued increased LNG supplies to European countries would go against the administration's efforts to wean the U.S. off fossil fuels production and tackle climate change.

Putin's invasion of Ukraine has exposed Europe's huge dependence on Russian gas imports, and the Biden administration has promised its allies it will help break end this dependency.

Net Zero Watch director Dr Benny Peiser said:

It's an utter travesty that officials in the Biden administration are able to block desperately needed energy support for European partners struggling to fight off Putin's energy war.

President Biden has asked European governments to ban Russian energy imports and has promised to accelerate US energy supplies to an energy-starved Europe. He has to decide whether his administration wants to prioritise the climate agenda over winning an energy war waged against the free world.

It would be a tragedy if his climate agenda would destroy America's credibility and reliability."