Garamendi: If Europe’s Energy Is Cut off, We’ll Have to Work with Middle East to Supply Europe with Gas

On Friday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Deadline: White House,” Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) said that if energy supplies to Europe are halted as a result of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. will have to work with other gas-exporting countries, including those in the Middle East to provide an energy supply to Europe because Europe has been dependent on Russia for gas.

Garamendi said, “[T]he United States is already preparing to backfill the loss of energy, gas or oil, from the Soviet — almost the resurgent Soviet Union from the Russians. So, we’ll see how this all works out, but the president really needs to have those sanctions available to him and I’m absolutely certain that Congress will immediately pass sanction legislation giving the president additional tools. We can help with the gas. We already are one of the world’s major exporters of natural gas in ships, and we can divert that supply from where it is presently going, mostly to Japan, but that can be diverted to Europe and help there. Unfortunately, Europe, over the last several years, has not provided an alternative method of gaining gas. They continue over these years to depend upon the Russian pipelines. Nord Stream 2…is off the table, will not happen if there’s an incursion. I believe Germany is on board with that, and if they’re not, it still will not happen. And that means that we will need, with our allies, Australia, Indonesia, other gas-exporting Middle East — exporting countries to turn the ships around and to head back to Europe to provide the supply that will be necessary for the duration of this winter.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett