The United States and Britain will work together to ship more liquefied natural gas to Europe, the British ambassador to Washington said on Thursday, as officials aim to ease European countries’ dependence on Russian energy amid the war in Ukraine.

“We are working with the Americans to get more LNG into Europe,” Karen Pierce, the United Kingdom’s ambassador to the United States, told MSNBC in an interview.

“We’ve come to an arrangement with the Port of Baltimore. … The LNG terminal in Baltimore will ship more LNG to the UK, and we’ll ship it onto Europe,” she added, calling it “a transition” measure.

U.S. officials have said a major energy announcement is expected on Friday during President Joe Biden’s trip to Europe to help coordinate Western allied nations’ response to Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine, now entering its second month.

The Washington Post reported Biden and his European counterparts are set to announce a major initiative to direct shipments of LNG to Europe, citing three U.S. officials familiar with the plan, adding that details are still being finalized.

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters this week the Biden administration was looking for ways to increase LNG supplies to Europe in coming weeks but gave no other details.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who is scheduled to meet with Biden on Friday, told EU lawmakers that the EC is seeking a commitment for additional LNG supplies for the next two winters.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Susan Heavey; editing by Jonathan Oatis)