US plans Alaska LNG summit, will urge Japan, South Korea to support project
Trump has touted the $44 billion Alaska liquefied natural gas project, which would deliver gas from the state's North Slope fields via an 800-mile (1,300 km) pipeline for domestic use and send it to customers in Asia as LNG, bypassing the Panama Canal.
While the project has been talked about for years, progress has been limited by cost and the amount of work needed.
Trump, who has pushed allies to buy U.S. energy while simultaneously threatening trade tariffs, has asked Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to support the Alaskan plan.
Last month, Taiwanese state energy company CPC Corp signed a non-binding agreement with the state-run Alaska Gasline Development Corp, to buy LNG and invest in the project, a move Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te said would ensure the island's energy security.
The summit being planned by Trump's National Energy Dominance Council, which wants to maximize production of oil and gas, would take place around June 2. It was first reported by The New York Times.
The White House and the Interior Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Separately, officials from Thailand, which could also be a consumer of the LNG from Alaska, and South Korea are expected to visit the state to talk about the project sometime in the next two weeks, said the source who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
It would be the first visit to Alaska by officials from Thailand to talk about the project in Trump's second administration.
South Korea's Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun said on Thursday in Washington that he was not aware of a plan to announce its commitment, and 'there are still a lot of things that need to be done' through due diligence of the Alaska LNG project in order 'to understand the local situation more accurately'.
Ahn said that the country is dispatching an inspection team, and results of the due diligence would need to be seen to see how discussions will proceed.
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Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (3-L) speaks during a plenary session of the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 7, 2025. BRICS leaders at a summit on Sunday took aim at US President Donald Trump's "indiscriminate" import tariffs and recent Israeli-US strikes on Iran. (Photo by Mauro PIMENTEL / AFP) Image: AFP Understanding the BRICS Water Dilemma The global water crisis is no longer a distant threat but an unfolding reality. By 2025, an alarming 2.8 billion people, roughly 35% of the world's population, will face water scarcity. In the face of this escalating emergency, BRICS, a powerful bloc from the Global South, is emerging as a leader, not just in survival, but in charting a path forward. Water insecurity varies among BRICS nations, reflecting the bloc's diversity and scale. India, for instance, faces one of the most severe water stress crises globally. Despite housing 18% of the world's population, it possesses only 4% of its water resources. This disparity has led to high to extreme water stress for over 600 million Indians, with groundwater depletion in areas such as Punjab and Haryana reaching unsustainable levels. Despite being a global leader in infrastructure, China grapples with significant regional disparities. The northern part of the country, home to over 40% of its population and a large portion of its agricultural land, possesses only 20% of the nation's water resources. To address this imbalance, China has invested over $79 billion in the South-North Water Transfer Project, the world's largest water diversion scheme. Brazil presents a striking paradox: it holds 12% of the world's freshwater, yet major areas, such as São Paulo (Latin America's largest city), have endured recurring droughts. This situation is exacerbated by Amazon deforestation, which imperils the flying rivers in the atmosphere vital for rainfall in southern agricultural regions. South Africa is an arid country that has experienced severe droughts over the past decade. Notably, Cape Town's 2018 Day Zero water crisis garnered international attention. The Department of Water and Sanitation warns that the country faces a 17% water deficit by 2030 unless immediate action is taken. While Russia possesses substantial freshwater reserves, mitigating its vulnerability in terms of volume, persistent pollution and inadequate management, particularly within Siberia and the Volga River Basin, present considerable long-term challenges. The expansion of BRICS introduces greater diversity to the global water landscape. Ethiopia's Blue Nile projects, while causing geopolitical tension, reflect a sovereign effort to utilize water for development. Egypt, which relies on the Nile for over 90% of its freshwater, is highly susceptible to climate fluctuations and upstream damming. Iran grapples with both water scarcity and mismanagement, whereas the UAE, heavily dependent on desalination, is investing significantly in technological advancements. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Water and Sovereignty: A Political Standpoint BRICS's water strategy subtly challenges the West's long-standing influence over global environmental policies. For too long, organisations like the World Bank, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and various Northern think tanks have shaped global water security discussions. BRICS is advocating for a shift, promoting financing models that prioritise national interests and fostering scientific collaboration built on mutual benefit rather than exploitation. Over $2.5 billion has already been approved by the New Development Bank (NDB) for water-related infrastructure, encompassing projects from Indian irrigation systems to rural South African sanitation. The NDB is set to launch a Green Water Bond Framework in 2025, which will provide concessional loans to member states for water purification, storage, and climate-resilient infrastructure. What sets BRICS apart is its perspective on water. It is viewed not as a commodity for privatisation, but as a shared human right and ecological resource. This perspective emphasises solidarity over exploitation. Challenges Ahead, but a Clear Mandate The path forward, while challenging, presents an opportunity for BRICS to leverage its collective political will, scale, resources, and burgeoning sense of shared destiny. Obstacles such as slow coordination, uneven data, and simmering geopolitical tensions (for example, the Ethiopia-Egypt Nile dispute) persist, but these do not diminish the potential for progress. For the Global South to overcome the gravest environmental challenge of the 21st century, water sovereignty and sustainable management must be spearheaded by those with an intimate understanding of its implications. BRICS is not merely reacting to a crisis; it is actively redefining it. Through this process, BRICS has the potential to guide the world toward a water future that is more equitable, secure, and sustainable. In a world where future conflicts could be sparked by water scarcity, BRICS presents a path of cooperation rather than militarisation. 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