FT: EU considers increasing Azerbaijani gas supplies

The US has been in talks with gas producers to help supplement any European shortfall, and in a joint statement Biden and Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, said they were “collaborating with governments and market operators” to ensure emergency supplies, Report informs referring to the Financial Times.

The EU fears that Russia may cut gas supplies to Europe as a response to Western sanctions in the event of an escalation of the conflict in Ukraine.

As part of that effort, the EU is preparing to send a delegation to Azerbaijan. Russia provides 40 percent of the EU’s gas and officials worry Moscow could hit back against western sanctions by reducing pipeline flows.

Brussels is also in talks with some Asian countries on possible LNG swap deals, a commission official said. “What we are doing is to reach out as much as possible to any of the suppliers,” they added.