While EU ministers ratified the ban on the import of Russian gas by the European Union, activists from Greenpeace Belgium went into action this morning in Brussels to denounce the risk of falling from one energy dependence to another, given the prospect of replacing Russian gas with that of US origin.
Activists from the environmental association have placed giant silhouettes of Putin and Trump sitting on a gas tanker in front of the headquarters of the European Council, symbolizing Europe’s dependence on autocrats’ fossil fuel imports. According to a new analysis by Greenpeace, an average of two to three ships carrying liquefied gas from the United States are currently arriving in Europe every day.
«Europe’s strength goes hand in hand with energy independence. The more Europe depends on the United States for energy, the more vulnerable it is to Trump’s pressure. Every euro spent on US gas reinforces Trump’s authoritarian agenda at home and imperialist ambitions abroad,” says Lisa Göldner of Greenpeace Germany. “The only way for Europe to protect its political independence and achieve true energy security is to phase out fossil gas and accelerate the transition to a fully renewable energy system.”
Greenpeace calculates that since Trump’s second inauguration on January 20, 2025, EU countries have imported US gas worth an estimated €28 billion. Despite Trump’s repeated threats towards Europe, more than 60 US gas tankers have arrived in Europe since the beginning of 2026, including nine in Italy alone.
A recent analysis by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) also shows how the EU’s dependence on the United States for gas imports is set to grow. In 2025, EU countries purchased 57% of their liquefied gas imports from the United States, a share that could rise to 80% by 2030.
«Italian servility towards President Trump has led the Meloni government to import 12% of US LNG destined for Europe into Italy, while ENI signs decades-long agreements with Stars and Stripes companies», declares Simona Abbate of Greenpeace Italia. «We ask Prime Minister Meloni what he means by sovereignism when he chooses energy dependence on the United States rather than the autonomy that renewable sources could ensure for our country».
Greenpeace is calling on the European Union to withdraw from its pledge to import $750 billion of energy, mostly fossil gas, from the United States by 2028, and to immediately halt all negotiations for new purchasing agreements with U.S. gas suppliers. Greenpeace is also calling on the EU for a plan to end dependence on US gas and to terminate existing long-term supply contracts early, as well as additional measures to reduce gas demand and accelerate the transition to renewable energy produced in Europe.
Since Russia’s February 2022 large-scale invasion of Ukraine, Greenpeace across Europe has repeatedly blocked shipments of Russian oil and gas to Finland, Great Britain, Belgium (Zeebrugge and Antwerp), Denmark and Italy. Greenpeace France also blocked the installation of a liquefied gas terminal in Le Havre, warning it could be used to import Russian gas, while Greenpeace Spain stopped a gas plant in Malaga burning gas from Russia.
