.jpg)
20 February 2026 at 08:55 pm IST
The Trump administration is intensifying pressure on Europe to reshape its energy and climate policies, urging the European Union to buy more American fossil fuels and scale back regulations seen as barriers to U.S. exports. As part of a 2025 framework trade deal, the EU pledged to spend $250 billion annually for three years on U.S. energy imports, including oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and nuclear technology. Meeting that target would require a significant redirection of U.S. exports toward Europe, even though EU governments have limited control over private energy purchasing decisions. Washington has also called on Brussels to dilute sustainability rules. U.S. officials and major energy firms such as ExxonMobil and Chevron have criticized the EU’s corporate sustainability directives, which require companies to assess environmental and human rights risks across supply chains and disclose climate performance. Under U.S. pressure, some provisions — including mandatory net-zero transition plans — were softened or delayed. In a more dramatic move, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright gave the Paris-based International Energy Agency a one-year ultimatum to abandon its support for net-zero-by-2050 goals or risk losing U.S. membership. The agency’s 2021 roadmap had urged an end to new fossil fuel supply projects to meet climate targets. The administration is also pushing Europe to replace Russian gas with U.S. LNG. American LNG shipments to the EU have surged from 14 billion cubic meters in 2019 to 83 bcm in 2025, while Russian imports have sharply declined. Additionally, Washington is seeking exemptions from the EU’s methane emissions rules for imported oil and gas, warning that strict enforcement could disrupt transatlantic energy trade. Together, the demands underscore a widening rift between U.S. and European climate strategies, as Washington prioritizes fossil fuel expansion while Europe maintains long-term decarbonization goals.
.jpg)