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EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Friday said she proposed to returning US leader Donald Trump that the United States could supply more liquefied natural gas to the bloc to replace Russian energy.
With Trump headed back to the White House after a campaign loaded with threats of steep tariffs on foreign goods, the European Union wants to avoid a damaging trade war with its biggest ally.
European Commission president von der Leyen said it was “very important” that Brussels engaged with Trump around “common interests”, pointing to her first call with him on Thursday.
“Common interests are, for example — this is one topic that we touched upon, I would not say discuss — it’s the whole topic of LNG,” she told reporters in Budapest where EU leaders were wrapping up two days of discussions.
Europe still received “a lot of LNG via Russia”, von der Leyen said, adding: “Why not replace it by American LNG, which is cheaper for us and brings down our energy prices.”
She said the issue could also be discussed in relation to the EU’s trade deficit with the United States.
During his campaign, Trump promised at least a 10 percent tariff on all imports and other measures. The aim, he said, was to target countries that had been “ripping us off for years” and to lower US trade deficits.
The European Union has ramped up purchases of American LNG since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but has been unable to completely cut its energy link with Moscow.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also insisted there could be areas of compromise with the next US administration under Trump.
“Ultimately, the growth and strength of the United States also depend on the fact that it trades with the whole world, and in both directions,” Scholz said.
“From this point of view, I think the foundations are there for developing a common policy,” he told a press conference in Budapest after leaders’ talks.
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