The agreement stipulates that gas will be transported from December 2025 to March 2026 with the aim of providing energy to Kyiv in the midst of the coming harsh winter.
Greece became the first EU nation to actively participate in the US aim to replace "every last molecule of Russian gas" with American LNG when it inked a deal on Sunday for Ukraine to import LNG to assist in fulfilling the nation's winter energy demands.
Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Greece's prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, signed the declaration of intent between the Greek DEPA Emporia and the Ukrainian Naftogaz for the supply of US LNG to Ukraine via Greece.
“Ukraine gains direct access to diversified and reliable energy sources, while Greece becomes a hub for supplying Central and Eastern Europe with American liquefied natural gas," Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said, emphasising Greece’s growing role as an energy hub.
The deal came during Zelenskyy's working visit to Athens, with energy high on the agenda of discussions, and his next stops being Paris and Madrid.
It was attended by Mitsotakis, Greek Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou, and US Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle.
The agreement stipulates that the gas will be transported from December 2025 to March 2026 with the aim of providing energy to Kyiv in the midst of the coming harsh winter.
It is a critical contribution to regional and European energy security and resilience, government sources said, adding that Greece's critical energy infrastructure ensures stable gas flows along the Vertical Corridor.
How gas will be transported from Athens to Kyiv
Zelenskyy said in a statement on Sunday that the deal will "cover nearly €2 billion needed for gas imports to compensate for the losses in Ukrainian production caused by Russian strikes."
As part of the deal, liquefied natural gas (LNG) will be regasified in Revithusa and then imported into the Vertical Corridor pipeline system.
A special capacity product ("Route 1") for the transport from Greece to Ukraine has already been activated since the end of October. Route 1, which has already received regulatory approval, starts from the Revithoussa LNG terminal.
The operators (DESFA for Greece, Bulgartransgaz, Transgaz, VestMoldTransgaz and the Ukrainian GTSOU) have recently coordinated to offer this facility. Tendering is done on a monthly basis.
According to a joint statement, the gas will cross Bulgaria to Romania and then to Moldova before reaching Ukraine, following the "eastern axis" pattern of the Vertical Corridor. The 'Route 1' product was designed precisely for this direction.
Mitsotakis: Ukraine can rely on Greece
Earlier, Zelensky went to the Maximou Mansion and had a meeting with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Mitsotakis assured Zelenskyy that Ukraine can rely on the stable support of the EU regarding the supply of natural gas "during this difficult winter."
For his part, Zelensky thanked the Greek side, recalling the critical juncture Ukraine is at this winter. "This support is very important in this difficult winter ahead, with daily attacks on civilians," he said.