Australia Ready To Supply Natural Gas To Europe Instead Of Russia - Minister

Australia is ready to supply Europe with liquefied natural gas (LNG) if Russia curtails supplies amid tensions over Ukraine, Australian Minister for Resources and Water Keith Pitt said on Wednesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th January, 2022) Australia is ready to supply Europe with liquefied natural gas (LNG) if Russia curtails supplies amid tensions over Ukraine, Australian Minister for Resources and Water Keith Pitt said on Wednesday.

"(Australia) stands ready to assist with any request for further supplies," Pitt was quoted as saying by The Australian newspaper, citing potential gas supply disruptions in Europe caused by the tension on the Russia-Ukraine border.

With the US government reportedly being in talks with Australian and Qatari suppliers about possibly replacing Russian gas in the European market, the Australian minister touted local companies as reliable and globally competitive, according to the report.

"This shows how important Australian resources are to energy supplies around the world. On top of the Coalition government's investment in the Strategic Basin Plans as part of our gas led recovery, there are several major projects in the pipeline that will ensure Australia can meet growing global demand and remain a reliable supplier of LNG," he was quoted as saying.

Tensions over Ukraine have increased in recent months, with Russia and NATO accusing each other of amassing troops on the Russian-Ukrainian border. The West and Ukraine accuse Russia of allegedly preparing to invade the neighboring country, which Moscow denies.

The United States and several European countries vowed to hit Russia with new economic sanctions in the event of aggression against Ukraine. Many expect the restrictions to apply to the yet-to-be-launched Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which will be pumping gas from Russia directly to Germany bypassing transit countries like Ukraine once it gets certified to start operation.