Donald Trump has a stranglehold over EU and UK energy supply as a result of Europe swapping its dependency on Russia for reliance on the US, analysis has shown. In 2024, the UK covered 50% of its gas demand with domestic production and 33% with imports from the EEA. Pipeline gas imports from Russia accounted for 60% of EEA gas imports in 2019 but by 2025 this share had fallen to 8%. The US has tried a similar approach in the 1980s under Ronald Reagan, attempting to talk European partners out of gas trade with the USSR. “Since the invasion of Ukraine, the EU has paid a high price for its reliance on Russia in energy trade.

Source: The Guardian January 21, 2026 15:02 UTC