Ukraine will receive liquefied natural gas from Greece to cover its needs in the winter, world agencies and Ukrinform reported, citing a statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is in Athens to conclude a deal worth €2 billion, thus kicking off his European tour, BTA reported.
"Fruitful diplomacy is ahead," Zelensky wrote on the "Ex" platform, under a video showing him in a train carriage. He estimated the value of the contract with Greece at 2 billion euros ($2.3 billion).
The Ukrainian president's previous visit to Greece was in August 2023. The import of liquefied natural gas is needed to compensate for the shortage in Ukrainian production as a result of ongoing Russian air strikes on the country's energy infrastructure. The gas supplies will be financed with the help of our European partners, Zelensky stressed.
In the past few months, Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine's electricity generation, transmission grid and gas production facilities in the course of the more than three and a half years of war, Reuters notes.
"Today we have already prepared an agreement with Greece on gas supplies to Ukraine, which will be another gas supply route in order to ensure gas supplies to the greatest extent possible in the winter," the Ukrainian president wrote on "Telegram". "We already have agreements on financing gas imports – and we will cover nearly 2 billion euros ($2.3 billion) needed for it to compensate for losses in Ukrainian production caused by Russian strikes," he stressed.
Zelensky specified that Kiev had allocated funds for the import of liquefied natural gas, with the help of European partners and banks under guarantees of the European Commission (EC), as well as from Ukrainian banks, while continuing to work with its US partners to ensure full financing.
Ukraine is increasing its opportunities to receive gas supplies in the winter and through Polish partners, where it cooperates with Azerbaijan and hopes to conclude long-term contracts, he added.
Zelensky's statement came shortly before his expected visit today to Greece, from where he will first travel to France and then visit Spain, Reuters notes.
"According to the schedule of the visit (to France), it will be on Monday. The good thing about this visit is that it will really help Ukraine defend itself and achieve our goals and objectives. Tuesday - we have been preparing for a long time and now we can say that the visit to Spain will be productive. Another strong country that will join our partners in initiatives that really help," Zelensky said, quoted by Ukrinform.
The "historic agreement" that is to be concluded with France, where the Ukrainian leader will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron tomorrow, is "to strengthen our combat aviation and air defense," Zelensky himself said. He did not give further details, but Paris had already provided Kiev with Mirage fighter jets earlier this year, along with air defense systems, DPA noted.
The Ukrainian president recently announced a list of the most needed weapons supplies for Kiev, in which he indicated that air defense systems and missiles are a priority for Ukraine.