In brief
In a significant step towards energy diversification, Ukraine announced it will start importing US liquefied natural gas through Greece. The agreement, reached during a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, aims to alleviate the energy crisis exacerbated by Russian military actions. With plans for all EU member states to ban Russian gas imports by 2027, this deal is key for Ukraine's winter energy supply.
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.
In Ukraine, which experiences freezing winters, there are fears of an energy crisis as Russia attacks energy facilities.
Zelensky is currently in France, where he 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.
Speaking earlier in Athens, Zelensky was quoted as saying that deliveries of US LNG would begin in January.
Zelensky added, '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.'
Ukrainian officials have indicated that funds have been allocated for gas imports from European partners and banks under European Commission guarantees, as well as from Ukrainian banks, to help cover imports through to March at a cost of nearly €2bn (£1.8bn; $2.3bn).
Since 2015, when it stopped buying Russian gas directly, Ukraine has been receiving supplies from various EU states. The Soviet-era Trans-Balkan pipeline links Ukraine to LNG terminals in Greece via Moldova, Romania and Bulgaria.
The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs has issued a formal warning about the approaching winter posing new risks for Ukrainians, as intensified attacks on energy networks undermine efforts to maintain warmth in homes, schools, and health centers.
