Building Long-Term Relationships

LNG Allies Dinner Keynote  |  09 June 2026
Building Long-Term USLNG Supply Relationships in Europe
By Fred H. Hutchison

At the end of the first day of the GEF, LNG Allies and the Atlantic Council organized a dinner in the LNG Allies event center in Washington. Fred Hutchison delivered the opening keynote, saying:

Europe enters the second half of 2026 in a precarious position. A ban on Russian gas molecules is coming into effect. Qatari LNG supply is uncertain in ways no one yet fully understands. And spot purchases—Europe’s default response—are an illusory energy security solution. The window to fix this is open, but closing faster than most people realize, because the USLNG supply picture is more constrained than the headlines suggest. The buyers who move first will have supply security. Those who wait will compete for whatever is left, on whatever terms the market dictates.

Four problems stand between where Europe is today and where it needs to be—and all are solvable: open access to import terminals; adequate transit capacity at non-punishing tariffs; long-term USLNG supply contracts; and partnership between producers who need creditworthy offtakers and buyers who need affordable, reliable supply. LNG Allies’ Credit Ready Initiative—working with USTDA, DFC, DOE, State, and EXIM—is designed to bridge exactly that gap.

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