Ukraine to Receive US LNG via Balkan Pipeline as EU Plans Ban on Russian Gas by 2027
Ukraine will start receiving US liquefied natural gas (LNG) through a Balkan pipeline, with the first deliveries expected in January. This development was announced following a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens. Greece aims to increase the flow of US LNG to its terminals to replace Russian gas in the region.
The LNG will be transported via the Trans-Balkan pipeline that connects Ukraine to Greece’s LNG terminals through Moldova, Romania, and Bulgaria. Since 2015, Ukraine has ceased direct purchases of Russian gas and has instead been supplied via EU member states.
The European Commission has plans to ban all Russian gas imports to EU member states by the end of 2027. To support its gas needs, Ukraine has allocated approximately €2 billion to cover its gas imports through March, backed by European Commission guarantees and Ukrainian banks.
Meanwhile, President Zelensky held talks in France with President Emmanuel Macron regarding air-defense hardware, including Rafale fighter jets, the SAMP-T missile system, and drones, also discussing the possibility of establishing a multinational ceasefire oversight force.
Despite diplomatic efforts, fighting continues on the battlefield, with six casualties reported in the Kharkiv, Kherson, and Donetsk regions. Russia claims to have seized three more villages, although these claims have not been independently verified.
