EU Must Ratify Trump’s Turnberry Deal Or Forfeit First Call On US LNG

The European Union is staring down a classic “FAFO” moment in global energy geopolitics. This week, U.S. Ambassador to the EU Andrew Puzder delivered a crystal-clear ultimatum to Brussels: Ratify the Turnberry Agreement — the landmark U.S.-EU trade pact hammered out last July at President Donald Trump’s Turnberry golf resort in Scotland — without amendments, or Europe can kiss its privileged access to American liquefied natural gas goodbye.

“If the Turnberry agreement is not implemented, we will go back to square one,” Puzder told the Financial Times. “I don’t really know where we will end up. I believe the United States will continue to want to do business with Europe, but the conditions may no longer be so favorable.” Translation: Play ball, or the LNG cargoes that now supply 58% of Europe’s imports will be redirected to higher-paying buyers in Asia. Some already have.

What Exactly Is the Turnberry Deal?

Signed in July 2025 between President Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at Trump’s iconic Scottish resort, the Turnberry Agreement is a sweeping trade pact that locks in $750 billion in U.S. energy purchases by the EU — overwhelmingly LNG, with oil and nuclear components — in exchange for scrapping EU tariffs on American industrial goods, reducing or eliminating duties on U.S. exports, and deepening cooperation on tech and AI. Puzder has even suggested the EU low-balled the number; it should have been closer to a trillion.

The deal is pure America First energy policy in action. It cements U.S. dominance in global LNG markets while giving Europe the reliable, affordable energy it desperately needs after its disastrous dependence on Russian pipeline gas blew up in 2022.

🚢 EU Must Ratify Trump’s Turnberry Deal Or Forfeit First Call On US LNG

Europe is in full FAFO mode. They need American LNG more than we need their market. Ratify the deal — no amendments — or watch the cargoes sail to Asia.

Full piece here: https://t.co/PiQyAeY9N1

Key…

— ⚡️David Blackmon⚡️ (@EnergyAbsurdity) March 26, 2026

My Repost on X

@DailyCaller has an outstanding article from David Blackmon –

America should not — and will not — bend the knee to this regulatory overreach.

As I have said on the Energy News Beat Podcast – Energy Security Starts at home – And Energy Dominance is displayed through your… https://t.co/5acMq02Uc5

— STUART TURLEY – Energy Podcast Host (@STUARTTURLEY16) March 26, 2026

The LNG Market Reality: Europe Is Desperate, and the U.S. Holds the Cards

Europe’s energy crunch is worse than ever. The recent shutdown of Qatar’s massive Ras Laffan LNG complex — the world’s largest — following regional conflict has removed roughly 20% of global LNG supply overnight. Qatar was the third-largest exporter, and its force majeure declarations have sent shockwaves through every market. European storage levels are already critically low (well below five-year averages), and the bloc is scrambling for replacement volumes just as summer refill season approaches.

Enter the United States. American LNG has become Europe’s lifeline, surging to fill the void left by Russian gas (which once supplied 45% of the EU’s needs). U.S. exporters now dominate, providing the majority of Europe’s imports. But global LNG is a buyer’s market no more. Asian buyers in China, India, Japan, and South Korea are outbidding Europe on the spot market, and ship-tracking data shows multiple cargoes diverting mid-voyage to chase higher prices in Asia.

U.S. LNG export capacity is exploding under Trump’s pro-production policies — already on track to surpass 24 Bcf/d by late 2026. While Europe dithers, American producers are happily redirecting molecules where the returns are best. Europe’s bureaucrats who cheered the end of Russian gas (while quietly buying it on the side) are now trying to rewrite the rules of their own rescue.

Why the U.S. Must Not Bow to EU and UK Climate Regulatory Overburden

Here’s the real sticking point: the EU’s suffocating climate bureaucracy. Brussels has layered on methane emissions monitoring, reporting, and verification requirements (the EU Methane Regulation) plus sustainability due diligence rules that act as non-tariff trade barriers. These add massive compliance costs, administrative nightmares, and penalties that kick in as early as 2027 — all while Europe’s own industries cry out for affordable energy.

The U.S. has rightly called these rules exactly what they are: “a critical non-tariff trade barrier that imposes an undue burden on U.S. exporters.” Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and others have demanded exemptions until at least 2035. Qatar made the same point before its facilities went dark. The UK, still aligned with much of the EU green policy post-Brexit, piles on a similar regulatory overhang that raises costs for any transatlantic energy trade.

America should not — and will not — bend the knee to this regulatory overreach.

Why? Because:

Energy dominance is national security. Trump’s policies have unleashed record U.S. production. We don’t need Europe’s market nearly as much as Europe needs our molecules. Domestic demand for LNG (powering AI data centers, manufacturing, and exports) is booming.
Europe’s green fantasy failed spectacularly. Wind and solar can’t keep the lights on when the wind doesn’t blow or the sun doesn’t shine. The EU’s obsession with intermittent renewables and punitive climate rules left it vulnerable — first to Putin, now to global LNG competition.
U.S. LNG is already the cleanest and most responsibly produced. American operators lead the world in methane reduction. Forcing extra layers of EU-style red tape does nothing for the climate — it just raises costs for European consumers and industry while punishing American workers and companies.
Fair trade means no poison pills. The European Parliament is now adding last-minute “safeguards” and suspension clauses that could unravel the entire deal over unrelated issues (Greenland, anyone?). That’s not negotiation; that’s bad faith.

As TotalEnergies just demonstrated by ditching Biden-era offshore wind leases and pouring nearly a billion dollars into Texas LNG instead, the market is voting with capital. Reality beats rhetoric every time.

The Ball Is in Brussels’ Court

The European Parliament is scheduled to vote on ratification this week. If MEPs blow it with amendments, delays, or climate add-ons, they will have no one to blame when their industries shutter, households face spiking energy bills, and another cold snap hits.

The United States has the supply, the infrastructure, and the political will to prioritize American energy workers and consumers. Europe can either ratify the Turnberry Deal as written — securing reliable, affordable U.S. LNG on fair terms — or watch those tankers sail east.A deal is a deal. Europe learned that the hard way with Russia. Time to learn it again with America — on America’s terms.

Energy News Beat will continue tracking this story as the EU vote approaches. Stay tuned to the podcast for the latest with Stu Turley and David Blackmon.

 

Sources: dailycaller.com, , ,blackmon.substack.com

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