The LNG deal comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visits Greece, starting a European tour to strengthen defense and energy supplies as Ukraine enters a harsh winter amid the conflict.
Greek state gas company DEPA Commercial and Ukrainian partner Naftogaz have announced a deal, effective from December 2025 to March 2026, following a meeting between President Zelensky and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The joint statement said the LNG deal "markets an essential step in strengthening regional energy cooperation and European energy security".
The deal, signed at a ceremony attended by US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle, would help "support Ukraine in the context of a difficult winter," said Prime Minister Mitsotakis and President Zelensky. US Ambassador Guilfoyle visited President Zelensky at the Ukrainian Embassy in Greece on November 16.
"Our relationship between the two countries is moving in a new important direction: it is a new, safe energy route, stretching from south to north, from Greece to Ukraine," said Prime Minister Mitsotakis.
He called the deal "a decisive move towards a complete exit from Russian gas," a goal that Europe is pushing for.
According to the joint statement, Prime Minister Mitsotakis also pledged that Greece will support the reconstruction of Ukraine after the conflict and strengthen defense cooperation.
Greece and Ukraine also plan to "strengthen security in the maritime sector, including cooperation in developing and deploying maritime unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), joint drills and training sessions related to the maritime drone system as well as increase information sharing on maritime threats".
The Ukrainian president also expressed his gratitude to US President Donald Trump "because we can receive gas not only from Greece, but also from the US through Greece".
Mr Zelensky called the deal with Greece "an important part of the comprehensive energy package we have prepared for the winter". According to the Ukrainian leader, winter is posing a huge challenge for the people of this country.
President Zelensky's visit to Greece comes after a recent announcement of major energy projects in Greece, backed by the US.
Greece plans to cooperate with US companies to increase US LNG volumes to Greek ports.
Greece is a "natural gateway to US LNG to replace Russian gas in the region," Prime Minister Mitsotakis said at a US- hosted conference in Greece this month.
The recent inauguration of the Adriatic gas pipeline connecting Greece and Bulgaria has helped the country participate in a vertical corridor for gas transport to Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Hungary and Slovakia.
The opening of container infrastructure at the Alexandroupolis port, near the Greece-Türkiye border and where US LNG arrives, also contributes to the impact on the Russian market in the region.
