France and Belgium Blocking EU Russian LNG Ban

Two of Europe’s biggest importers of Russian LNG, France and Belgium, are refusing to endorse the EU’s cut off of Russian LNG by 2027, according to Politico.eu. Belgium has a contract with Russia until 2035. They are arguing that they need more time to find alternative sources and need reassurances on the economic and legal consequences of the cut off. Two other major importers, Spain and Netherlands, are on the side of the EU, hoping to free themselves of the long-term contracts which they have with Russia. France’s Total Energies has a contract with Russian Novatek until 2032 and has a 20% investment in the Yamal LNG project in Siberia.