As far as I can tell the Russian leverage has so far proven to be very small (it caused Germany to hesitate at the start of the invasion but right now Germany pushes heavily for supporting Ukraine) and it is decreasing for each day that the gas storage are getting filled and more LNG terminals near completion. Endangering this progress right now seems foolish.
Do you have a source vor LNG terminals nearing completion. I thought this would take years?
It normally takes years, however they are acquiring "floating LNG terminals", which should be there by EOY, probably somewhere around October-November.
Pick your favorite search engine with those words for a source of your choice, it's in the press.
The EU started funding LNG terminals back in 2018, or possibly even earlier. Here is an old paper form 2019 from the EU which lists several projects which were supposed to finish in 2022 or 2022 even if this war has not happened.
please elaborate further how the US would benefit from destabilizing German gas supplies.
German can't make a deal with Putin anymore since the leverage is gone
But there have been zero indications that Germany is interested in any such deal. Germany is fine with buying gas from Russia for euros, but they have displayed zero interest in offering anything else in payment. If Germany made such a deal I see mass protests and lets of criticism from the rest of the EU which would lose them tons of political clout within Europe. And for what? I do not think it would be worth it for German politicians.
Wait until it gets cold and peoples resolves actually get tested. Those protests would turn into people begging to turn the gas on. If you don’t live in a place that actually has winter, you just won’t understand. I lived all summer without a/c, it was fine with the occasional cold shower. But no heat is absolutely miserable and deadly in a real winter.
Most mainland European gas reserves are full, there will be no freezing in Europe this winter.
Germany's reserves aren't enough to last a winter.
Full reserves is not equal capacity covering whole winter. 40% reserves in one country can be more than 100% reserves per capita in other country since each country has different capacity and consumption and these reserves per capita vary a lot.
>for what?
To sustain industry.
Let's not forget cook food.
I have already spare induction cooker I bought recently for ~30€ (as backup just in case, but I also wanna try it and gave option to switch depending on prices + I have electric pressure cooker for years), though the cheapest less efficient electric plates start around 10€, I don't think cooking would make any difference unless you talk about bakeries. The gas is really essential only for heating homes and industry.
The US is exporting LNG to Europe... at quite a nice profit too.