US looks to push Russia out of EU's energy market while American tankers ship Russian LNG to Europe
Tankers run by US energy corporations are delivering liquefied natural gas (LNG) bought in Russia to the Antwerp Gas Terminal in Belgium, reports Belgian daily Le Soir, as part of an investigation based on the 'Paradise Papers' leak.
On Sunday, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), reportedly financed through George Soros funds, released over 13 million documents from the world’s leading offshore law companies. The documents revealed that four cargo ships owned by Navigator Holdings bought gas produced by Russian petrochemical company Sibur.
The LNG was reportedly loaded at the Russian Baltic port of Ust Luga. The financial papers also revealed that US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has a 35 percent stake in Navigator Holdings, which is registered in the Marshall Islands.
The probe reveals the EU, which is actively building new LNG terminals to lessen its dependence on Russian natural gas, is currently purchasing Russian fuel but at a higher price and technically not from Russia.