Europe is entering the most treacherous territory in its quest to move away from Russian energy, and the U.S. can provide only limited help, at least for now, Axios writes.

The West's reaction to the war in Ukraine has fundamentally reshaped global energy trade at a pace and scale not seen in decades.

The stakes for Europe could not be higher. Consumers are facing rising costs, and Europe's energy-intensive industries are already in distress and cutting production.

President Joe Biden has pledged that the U.S. will send more natural gas to the EU to help Western allies cut supplies from Russia.

But the two regions face physical constraints that limit the potential for further short-term supply growth.

The U.S. largely uses all of its available natural gas liquefaction capacity, a process necessary to transport gas overseas, while Europe has limited infrastructure to actually accept imports.

Before the war, Russia provided about 40 percent of the EU's gas supply.  Volumes have already fallen dramatically, and tight markets and geopolitical risks have caused prices to skyrocket.

Earlier this year, the U.S. and the EU announced an agreement on additional supplies this year and significant increases through 2030. The near-term goal seems fairly easy to achieve - in no small part because the U.S. has shifted most of its Asian exports to European buyers.

But, but, but: It may not work this year.

Anna Mikulska, an expert on gas markets and geopolitics, told Axios that while U.S. companies have increased their liquefied natural gas supplies to Europe, competition for those supplies could intensify. And anyway, this is still only a small fraction of European needs. Replacing all of the gas Europe received from Russia last year is a more difficult task, and it won't come from any one country.

The U.S. gas industry is eager to continue building up supplies overseas, and additional export infrastructure is already scheduled to open in the coming years.

The industry is also demanding action, including faster approvals for export projects, pipelines to bring gas to the coast for liquefaction, and other measures.

However, these industry goals may conflict with climate policy on both sides of the Atlantic.

President Biden is under pressure from environmentalists to limit fossil fuel development. EU countries are already attempting a rapid and permanent phase-out of Russian coal, gas and oil, not only by diversifying suppliers, but also by accelerating the abandonment of these sources.

This means a complex dynamic when it comes to the development of new import infrastructure and pipelines in Europe. Projects are often based on long-term contracts, but officials keep promises to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the coming years and decades, even though countries now need more gas.

EU energy ministers will meet Friday to discuss emergency measures to protect people and industry from exorbitant electricity and gas prices.

The crisis has already prompted European countries to unveil major aid packages to support consumers, including Germany's $65 billion plan announced over the weekend.