Zelensky in Greece to seal energy deal

ATHENS: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Athens on Sunday, his spokesman Sergiy Nykyforov told AFP, to seal a gas deal with Greece and meet Ukraine’s winter fuel needs.

He was received at Athens International Airport by Greek Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hadzidakis, according to footage from Greek public television ERT.

In his first visit since 2023, the Ukrainian leader will meet with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, among others.

Before his arrival, Zelensky announced that Ukraine would import gas from Greece as the country’s own energy infrastructure has been targeted by Russian strikes.

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In October, Moscow launched its biggest bombing campaign against Ukrainian gas facilities since the start of the 2022 invasion, halting 60 percent of production of the main source of heating fuel.

“We have already prepared an agreement with Greece on supplying gas to Ukraine,” Zelensky wrote on social media.

Zelensky added that Kyiv had also secured financing agreements to cover “nearly two billion euros” ($2.32 billion) of production losses caused by the Russian strikes.

The funding comes from the Ukrainian government, European banks guaranteed by the European Commission, Ukrainian banks and Norway.

This visit to Greece follows recent announcements of major US-supported energy projects in the country.

On this occasion, Mitsotakis said Greece is “the natural gateway for American liquefied natural gas to replace Russian gas in the region”.

The recent launch of the Trans-Adriatic pipeline connecting Greece and Bulgaria has enabled the country to contribute to the vertical corridor towards Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Hungary and Slovakia.

The opening of storage infrastructure at the port of Alexandroupolis, near the Greek-Turkish border and where American LNG gas arrives, has also helped undermine Russia’s market in the region.