Using U.S. Energy as Leverage

Peter Zeihan 3 min

The United States will try to leverage its energy security and economic strength in order to get whatever it wants out of anyone. It is frustrating to see this leverage used against allies rather than potential foes.

  • Donald Trump

Chapters

  1. 0:00

    U.S. Energy Leverage Over Europe

    The U.S. threatens to cut LNG exports to Europe as leverage in trade talks. Europe imports nearly 90% of its natural gas and has lost other major sources.

  2. 1:47

    Legal Obstacles and Government Action

    Private lawsuits might stop the cutoff, but the administration ignores legal norms. The U.S. has historically used energy security to force concessions from allies.

Key points

  • 0:00

    Andrew Puzdner stated that poor trade talks could lead the U.S. to stop sending liquefied natural gas to Europe.

  • 0:00

    Europe imports nearly 90% of its natural gas from external sources.

  • 0:00

    Flows from Russia stopped due to the Ukraine war.

  • 0:00

    Flows from Qatar stopped because the Iran war shut the Strait of Hormuz.

  • 0:00

    U.S. natural gas is one of the few remaining energy sources accessible to Europeans.

  • 1:47

    Private companies in the U.S. handle LNG exports rather than a state oil company.

  • 1:47

    Stopping sales would trigger a bevy of lawsuits from these private companies.

  • 1:47

    The administration is deeply disinterested in business conditions and not constrained by legal norms.

  • 1:47

    The U.S. will try to leverage energy security to get whatever it wants from anyone.

  • 1:47

    Using this leverage against allies is frustrating but follows a historical pattern.

Who and where

People · 1

  • Drawing of Donald Trump

    Donald Trump 1

    President of the United States (2017–2021; since 2025)

    Photo 1

1. Photo: Daniel Torok, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons · Wikidata · redrawn in our house style (Donald Trump)

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