Vital supplies of US liquefied natural gas are due to start flowing into war-ravaged Ukraine this winter via a pipeline across the Balkans.
The deal was announced after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens on Sunday. Greece is working to increase the flow of American LNG to its terminals to replace Russian gas in the region, Mitsotakis said recently.
The European Commission plans to ban all imports of Russian gas to EU member states by the end of 2027, arguing revenue from such sales funds Russia's war in Ukraine.
Zelensky is currently in France, where he and President Emmanuel Macron signed a letter of intent to buy up to 100 Rafale jets.
Fighting continued overnight, with six people reportedly killed in Russian attacks in the Kharkiv, Kherson and Donetsk regions of Ukraine. Russia's military claimed control of additional Ukrainian villages, although these reports remain unverified.
Speaking earlier in Athens, Zelensky stated that deliveries of US LNG would begin in January. We rebuild each time the Russians destroy but this truly requires time, much effort, equipment and, regarding gas... imports to compensate for the destruction by the Russians of our own production, he said. Mitsotakis emphasized that Greece is becoming an energy security provider for Ukraine.
Kyiv has allocated funds for gas imports from European partners under European Commission guarantees for gas imports costing nearly €2bn ($2.3bn) through March. Since 2015, Ukraine has sourced gas from various EU states after cutting ties with Russian suppliers.
The Soviet-era Trans-Balkan pipeline links Ukraine to LNG terminals in Greece via Moldova, Romania, and Bulgaria. Concerns are mounting over an impending energy crisis in Ukraine due to Russian attacks targeting energy infrastructure.
The UN warns that the upcoming winter poses significant risks to Ukrainians, as intensified attacks on energy networks jeopardize efforts to maintain warmth in homes and public facilities.
