Qatar threatens to halt gas supplies to Europe after the European Union imposes a new fine on companies.

The American political newspaper Politico published a report stating that Qatar has warned the European Union that it will stop exporting liquefied natural gas to the bloc if the EU imposes new sanctions under the new corporate sustainability due diligence directive.

This came after Qatari Energy Minister Saad Sherida al-Kaabi criticized the EU’s new directives in an interview with The Financial Times, published on Sunday, which require companies within the bloc to address human rights and environmental issues or face fines of up to 5% of their global annual revenue.

Al-Kaabi stated in his interview with The Financial Times: "If I am going to lose 5% of my revenue by supplying gas to Europe, I will not supply gas to Europe,” emphasizing that he is not saying this as a bluff, noting that his country is not obliged to do so.

He continued, explaining that 5 percent of the revenue generated by QatarEnergy means 5 percent of the revenue generated for the State of Qatar, adding: "This is money belonging to the people of Qatar, and I cannot continue doing something that would cause the loss of people's money, as no one would accept losing that amount of money."

These threats come at a time when Qatari LNG exports are essential for Europe amid the continent's efforts to reduce dependence on Russian gas, and this dispute could have significant implications for energy security and climate goals in Europe.