Qatar is about to stop selling gas to Europe. The Qatari government has announced that if European Union countries begin to implement sanctions of 5% of gross domestic product on companies that fail to comply with environmental protection regulations, they will choose not to export their refined gas there.

 Countries including France, Britain, Germany, and the Netherlands are pulling gas from Qatar after the war between Russia and Ukraine escalated. In the fight to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 0% by 2050, the EU has determined that companies that do not comply with environmental protection regulations will be penalized by 5% of their gross domestic product.

 Qatar’s energy minister, Al-Kaabi, told The Financial Times that the sanctions will affect the revenue generated by the country’s energy sector, which supports the government in various activities and the general public. He said, “If I have to lose 5% of my total income by going to Europe to trade, I won’t go. I wouldn’t lose that much money, and no one would want to lose it.”

 He confirmed that if these sanctions come into effect, they will not terminate their long-term contracts with European countries but will look for other places to buy gas. European countries have switched to cheaper gas from the Middle East and the United States, turning their backs on Russian gas, but they still use Russian pipelines that run through Ukraine.

The agreement between Russia and Ukraine expires on December 31, 2024, and Ukraine has repeatedly said it will not be extended.

Qatar is one of the largest suppliers of gas to Europe. There are many concerns that if Qatar were to cut off the gas supply, it could lead to a spike in the price of petroleum products.

European countries have many problems with Qatar, mainly related to the economy and trade in general.