File photo of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen/AFP.
Turnberry, United Kingdom: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Sunday the bloc would buy "significant" levels of energy from the United States as part of the transatlantic trade deal, replacing Russian sources.
"Purchases of US energy products will diversify our sources of supply and contribute to Europe's energy security. We will replace Russian gas and oil by significant purchases of US LNG, oil and nuclear fuels," she told reporters.
She said the purchases would amount to approximately $750 billion divided equally over three years.
"We want to absolutely get rid of Russian fossil fuels," she stressed, adding it was preferable to buy "more affordable and better" liquefied natural gas from the US.
The agreement on energy was part of a wider trade deal between the transatlantic partners to avert what could have been a full-blown trade war.
The deal involves a baseline levy of 15 percent on EU exports to the US, including for the bloc's crucial auto sector, currently being taxed at 25 percent.
