08:25 AM EST, 02/05/2025 (MT Newswires) -- TotalEnergies (TTE) Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanne said Wednesday that Europe should renege in talks with the US with the aim of securing a free-trade guarantee for liquefied natural gas, Reuters reported.

Pouyanne told reporters that US LNG export capacity could double in coming years, presenting both an opportunity for Europe to wean itself off Russian energy and a risk of becoming dependent on another superpower, the report said.

"What happens if all of a sudden the US decides they must export less than they've done historically?" he said, according to Reuters. "We must not pass from a so-called over-dependence on Russia to an over-dependence on another country, even if it's an ally."

EU member states have demanded guarantees of US natural gas supplies before barring imports of Russian gas, according to the report.

TTE shares were 2.1% higher in recent premarket activity.

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