Germany’s Outgoing Economy Minister Warns Europe Not to Over-Rely on US Energy

Germany’s economy minister warns Europe against repeating past mistakes with Russia by over-relying on American energy supplies.

German Economy and Climate Action Minister Robert Habeck speaks during a news conference on the future use of liquefied natural gas in Berlin, Germany, on Aug. 16, 2022. Lisi Niesner/File Photo/Reuters

Europe must avoid becoming too dependent on U.S. energy supplies, Germany’s outgoing economy minister Robert Habeck cautioned on Jan. 21, which comes amid President Donald Trump’s demands that the European Union (EU) buy enough American oil and gas to make up for the U.S. trade deficit with the EU—or face tariffs.

Habeck, a member of Germany’s Green Party, said at the Handelsblatt energy summit in Berlin on Jan. 21 that relying too much on U.S. energy supplies risks repeating the same type of “blackmail that we had in Russia.”