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Greece on Sunday signed a deal with Ukraine to import LNG to meet the country’s winter energy needs, becoming the first EU country to actively join the US goal of replacing “every last molecule of Russian gas” with American LNG.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis signed a letter of intent between Greece’s DEPA Emporia and Ukraine’s Naftogaz to supply U.S. LNG to Ukraine via Greece.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said, “Ukraine will now have direct access to diverse and reliable energy sources, and Greece will become a hub for the supply of US liquefied natural gas to Central and Eastern Europe,” underscoring Greece’s growing role as an energy hub.
The agreement was concluded during President Zelensky’s working visit to Athens, with energy focused on the topic of talks, with Paris and Madrid being President Zelensky’s next destinations.
Mr. Mitsotakis, Greek Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou, and U.S. Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle were in attendance.
The agreement provides for gas to be transported from December 2025 to March 2026, with the aim of supplying Kiev with energy in the midst of the coming harsh winter.
Government officials said this is an important contribution to the energy security and resilience of the region and Europe, adding that Greece’s critical energy infrastructure ensures a stable flow of gas along the vertical corridor.
How is gas transported from Athens to Kiev?
President Zelenskyy said in a statement on Sunday that the agreement “covers the nearly 2 billion euros needed for gas imports to compensate for the loss of Ukrainian production due to the Russian attack.”
As part of the contract, liquefied natural gas (LNG) will be regasified at Levituza and imported into the Vertical Corridor pipeline system.
A special capacity of products for transportation from Greece to Ukraine (“Route 1”) has already started since the end of October. Route 1 has already received regulatory approval and will begin at the Leviçosa LNG terminal.
Telecommunications operators (DESFA, Bulgartransgaz, Transgaz, VestMoldTransgaz in Greece and GTSOU in Ukraine) have recently coordinated to offer this functionality. Bidding is done monthly.
According to the joint statement, the gas will follow an “eastern axis” pattern of vertical corridors, from Bulgaria to Romania and then to Moldova before reaching Ukraine. The Route 1 product was designed in exactly this direction.
Mitsotakis: “Ukraine can rely on Greece”
Prior to this, Zelenskiy visited the Maximou residence and met with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Mr. Mitsotakis assured Mr. Zelenskiy that Ukraine could rely on stable EU support for natural gas supplies “during this harsh winter.”
President Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude to the Greek side, recalling the critical crossroads that Ukraine faces this winter. “This support is critical during this difficult winter, when attacks on civilians continue daily,” he said.