A month after Novatek dispatched an executive to Washington DC in an attempt to thaw U.S. relations towards Russian LNG, the same company official is now traveling to Brussels, HNN has learned.

Novatek senior executive and management board member, Denis Solovyov, is reportedly scheduled to arrive in the EU capital this week, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Mr. Solovyov’s trip comes at a critical time as EU member states and the European Commission are engaged in discussions over the 16th round of sanctions against Russia.

No clear plan of action has emerged in Brussels. A group of ten smaller states, led by the Nordic and some Eastern European countries, is advocating for a full ban on Russian LNG. However, the proposal is unlikely to find unanimous support among all 27 member states.

Concerns

“The group in favor does not contain key countries such as Spain, France, Belgium and Germany,” cautions Angelos Koutsis, Energy Policy Officer at Bond Beter Leefmilieu at Belgian environmental and nature organization.

Concerns over supply security and price stability have recently again come to the forefront, especially among member states importing the bulk of Russian LNG, primarily France, Spain, and Belgium.