New liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities under construction in the Netherlands, France and Poland are set to diversify the Continent's energy import options. By 2014, two large LNG facilities in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and Dunkirk, France, will come online and will largely remove Russia's market presence in several Western European markets by substantially undercutting Moscow's price on natural gas. A third facility in Poland's Swinoujscie port could eventually make it an energy transit state for the rest of Central Europe. Moscow has historically leveraged Europe's reliance on Russia for energy security to gain influence throughout the region. Without it, Russia will have less political clout concerning European behavior and will take a financial hit as its market share decreases.
